Local Websites: Links, Traffic, & Bookings
“There are no rules. Get in touch with the owner, get creative, make suggestions, make an offer.”
Google has 90% of the Search Engine market share, and most see Google as their top referrer of traffic, far above any other resource – so the 800lbs gorilla gets all of the attention.
The problem is that so often business owners forget (or don’t know) that other resources play a huge role in how highly a website will actually rank in Google. This is a difficult to quantify, but very import benefit in seeking out and being listed on other websites. Your presence in secondary, oft-overlooked resources can heavily influence your presence in the primary Google race.
One of the best places to seek out exposure and links is among a myriad of local and regional websites.
Local Travel Sites
Links from local travel based sites have exceptional value for a variety of reasons:
- Locally themed
- Travel industry themed
- Regarded as a local authority
- Inexpensive or even free
- Underutilized by competitors
- Highly qualified visitors / traffic
- Generally customizable copy and links
Again and again we see local travel sites as being among the best sources for traffic and link value. They’re also often the cheapest form of advertising.
The local Chamber of Commerce is an obvious choice, but generally any vacation destination will have multiple privately-owned travel websites that are simply providing information and/or selling advertising. Make contact with these sites and get listed.
Where to Begin
Imagine you know nothing about your town or region. Now, pretend you’re going to take a trip there. What do you search? What sites show up? Where are the opportunities to feature your hospitality business? There are no rules. Get in touch with the owner, get creative, make suggestions, make an offer.
This is great offseason work, can actually be a lot of fun to see your online presence grow, and will have immense value in the long run.
