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 published in LED Digest 2265: Social Media Optimization From: Shaun Johnston Subject: Individual Listings in SEs > In my field, online marketing for individual destination > lodgings, almost no lodgings occupy search engines' > top 30 positions for searches on destinations names... - Shaun Johnston, LED Digest 2262 > This brings up some interesting ramifications for > local search. Have you been experimenting with > Google Maps (also known as "Google Local")? - Nathan Holley, LED Digest 2263 Nathan, thanks for the pointer to Google maps appearing in sponsored listings. That may help with lodgings listings. Though people choose vacation lodging more by town than by precise street location, so the name of a town will probably remain the best distinguisher. I've discovered yet another aspect of how vacation lodgings are no longer being served by the search engines. All the top "keywords" are the lodgings' own names. People are using the search engines to find their way to the web sites of lodgings when they aren't sure of the name. When I subtract these from the total, visits from the search engines shrinks to close to half. Free visits are well on their way to becoming extinct. SEO ceases to be a profitable service. I suspect you're right that the search engines are withdrawing service from niches better served by other means, such as "local" businesses as vacation lodgings seem to be. Again, I wonder, is anyone else having this problem in their marketplace, that the search engines are ceasing to feature individual companies in the top 30 positions? Shaun Johnston From: Beth Earle Subject: Individual Listings in SEs One Google change I remember reading about (and actually experiencing during searches) a while back was that Google seemed to be giving priority to sites that could technically be deemed more authoritative -- .edu and .gov sites and, more pertinent to this thread, directories. The basic idea seemed to be that a site that provided links to lots of pertinent information (in this case, directories that list lodgings) was more worthy of higher ranking than a site that provided information on just one facet of the search (in this case, the site for a specific lodging). I can't say if this is what happened to Shaun or if it's a definite, permanent trend in Google -- even if the "directories-are-more-valuable-than-single-topic-sites" theory did affect Shaun's rankings, it could just be something Google is testing again ... Wishing all the best to my fellow LED'ers, Beth Earle www.pilotfishseo.com From: Bruce A. Flinn Subject: Individual Listings in SEs I agree - in the last year or two the big destination portals have taken most of the top spots because their content is so packed with redundant keywords for destination areas. Our Hotel and Resort have been in the top 10 for years on Google. The strategic use of TITLE tags is very important and that is where you need to populate your destination keywords in different configurations and on many pages. For example we use: - Pocono Hotels - Pocono Accommodations - Pocono Destinations - Pocono Vacations - Pocono Conference Centers - Pocono Specials Each of the above target a different potential client demographic and each has always been listed in the top 10 on Google for years. By spreading the destination keyword over many pages I have given us a chance to be seen by a variety of searchers. I have never used pay for click or any paid ad / positions and have always been ranked in the top 20 for my keyword selections. Our destination "Poconos" is very competitive between individual properties and the portals - our own Vacation Bureau spends over 1 million for paid positioning and they are showing up on page 17 for "Pocono Hotels". Of course it does help us that most of these portals have a link to our site for further info. Sometimes a double-edged sword but if you work your TITLE tags you should start to see a move up in positions. Hope this helps. Bruce A. Flinn, New Media Director www.fernwoodhotel.com From: Michael Linehan Subject: Individual Listings in SEs Just in the sample of my own clients, I would say, "No" for most business sectors. The worst, in my experience, is Accommodations. Tourism is, of course, an absolutely gigantic business. Over the last few years, there has been an incredible explosion of "me too" directories riding on the work of the people who are providing the real products and services. Seems like easy money to some, I'm sure. To be clear, I have nothing at all against directories. Some provide a fantastic service and add great value. But it has gone absolutely nuts - with a proliferation of mickey-mouse "directories" of a similar level of quality to those so-called sites that exist merely as vehicles to carry Adwords. That has been the growing reality in Accommodations. What to do about it? One client in a busy area is booked all the time and feeds people to about another half dozen establishments. Their secret - being willing to invest a bit of money to make money (which many of the others are not), and having a multi-faceted marketing program that uses many interlocking channels. The Chamber of Commerce confirmed for me that this was similar for all their Accommodations members --- those who were BY FAR the most successful were those who had an extensive, proactive marketing program. So I don't want to be so rude as to presume what you are doing or not doing, but if you haven't, I would suggest spreading your efforts. First, make sure content development, inbound linking and optimization are absolutely maximized by someone who really knows what they are doing. Then make sure the site is the best sales tool it can be. And finally use a variety of ideas and channels such as: - Developing an integrated strategic marketing plan that is implemented every day, - Ads in local directories, - Ads in a couple of key regional directories, - Membership in the Chamber of Commerce and key Tourism sites, - Rack cards at the Tourist info center, - Alliances with other Accommodation providers of similar quality to buy bigger ads and present an integrated branding, - Alliances with other Accommodation providers of different quality to refer to each other, e.g. a high-end place referring anyone who wants a more economical stay, and vice versa. - Starting a blog on the local area, or some particular interesting or fun aspect of the local area. And so on. The key for me is strategic / every day / varied. Using this approach, my client is constantly booked in an area where many are suffering. Michael Linehan Marketing Alchemy Comments (0)
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