Link Building Strategy for Travel Companies

Link building is a much-aligned and unappreciated aspect of digital marketing. That view needs to be changed. As I mentioned in the Links as business-accelerator post, link building might be the most important task in digital marketing.

Link-building is often painful for several reasons:

lack of active marketing promotions to gain reach
no funds to undertake link-building properly
no value proposition for other publishers to provide a link
relationship building takes time
content for offsite publication takes extra time to create and effort to get placed
lack of software platform to streamline link-building activities (e.g., pitchbox)
fear of email spam penalties when asking for links

How do you get backlinks? High rankings on Google will certainly generate some. Interesting, engaging content promoted strongly and strategically will create some. Getting in the news and doing paid advertising will do it. In fact, most big companies get their links as a side benefit of million-dollar ad and PR campaigns. Which proves that visibility leads to links, usually.

Yet even with all that going for you, you will need to be actively and deliberately using link building techniques to reach the right targets and persuade them to link to your site. Often, it means trading value for value. And remember, today, a lot of bloggers and influencers expect payment for links. It’s a tough environment, which is why marketing managers need to be supportive and understanding, and hold off judgement of results, until you actually have a decent link-building strategy going.

Those who might link to you have certain requirements before they mention or recommend your business, and we’ll get into that in this post along with a list of great link-building practices.

Travel is a Wonderful Industry for Content and SEO

Looks like 2024 is going to be better for the travel sector than many have anticipated. That expectation will get people online and dreaming about where they might go. Travel means a lot to millions of work-from-home people and others who desperately need a break from their routines. Some will even take their work with them. Of course, you know all that already.

The fact is, the travel industry is very promotional, active, exciting, and social with tens of millions of bloggers and travel shoppers. And the consumer base is massive. Overall then, the opportunity in this sector is pronounced. But no one wants to hear a something-for-nothing request for links. That’s why a relationship and value-building strategy that meshes with your content and SEO strategy is needed.

In this post, below you’ll find a large list of helpful link-building ideas when added to your travel marketing content strategy might make a sizable difference in success. Out go the gimmicks, replaced by value-building techniques.

Since link-building is depreciated, businesses make little to no effort to support it, nor set a budget to create the value that will be exchanged with website owners, influencers, journalists and customers. No value generated — no links. Because powerful, influential travel industry websites that Google respects don’t give them out easily. We’ll discuss how to earn them.

Building Support for Link Building is Important

Taking control of link-building means championing the cause with a strategy that others can get behind. I’ve found with past SEO projects that link building requires resources and team help. One person acting alone often lacks the authority and resources needed to acquire powerful backlinks. But when link building is built into marketing (e.g., sales people nurture links from customers/partners) it is much more effective.

People cooperate when value is presented from a credible brand.

Gimmicky link-building tactics are considered spam and have been replaced with strategies that trade value for value. By helping your supporters, you help yourself. Why would any other travel website or brand want to link to your website? Turning a no into a yes, is more about the value than the ask.

And I should point out that the IMPACT and significance of your content is important. IMPACT grabs attention, opening minds to your link building ask.

The Power of Your Link-Building Strategy

Most marketers know how important backlinks are within Google’s ranking algorithm. They represent brand mentions on other sites, references to topics on your site, and a vote of confidence in your site. They also come with “link juice” which gives your site a fresh boost in ranking power.

When another travel site links to your homepage or blogs, the topic/keyword theme of their page/site is transferred to your site. Their keyword and topic theme “reputation” then rubs off on your site. Advanced link building works to get the best benefit from this. Google views this keyword signal as a very significant component of its complex ranking algorithm.

It is wise to plan and groom the link you want them to give — call it prescriptive link building. People will do what you tell them or encourage them to say. It’s best not to leave up to them. In my link-building efforts, publishers mentioned what I emphasized — the feature I promoted.

Link-building benefits are different from product and service benefits — the things that answer why they should link to you. Just because they buy your product/service doesn’t mean they’re motivated to link to your site. As link-building strategists, we have to craft a context that makes linking make sense. Then they do it.

Most Marketers and Content Creators Dread Link Building

They dread it because they haven’t developed a content plan that supports link building. There’s no “link to us” appeal in any of their online marketing content. You can’t force anyone to link to you. Being sweet and asking nicely may work, after you’ve prepped them to give a link.

Weave in some content magic that hypnotizes them to want to link to you.

Link giving comes down to the value they will receive when they send visitors to your site, or mention your company. It often happens when you make them look good and valuable. Esteem is important. Just saying a kind word about another business can result in them linking to your site. It’s good to be generous and kind!

And if your content and business is significant and fits in with their own value proposition, then it does add value to their own. So when you’re researching and designing your content, consider how your content meshes with their own in general. If it’s not significant to them, they won’t link and they’ll ignore your messages.

Some link building is done through aggressive emailing with pitches no one wants.

Links happen through:

1. relevant, high-quality content designed to appeal to publishers/bloggers/consumers
2. active promotion of content (advertising)
3. creating value for other publishers/influencers

What is Your Link Building Value Proposition?

People refer or link to your business because your content is interesting, relevant, significant, authoritative, credible, and has a helpful, feel-good tone. Vacations and travel are positive emotional experiences so a tone that is warm, supportive, encouraging, exploratory, hopeful and helpful is important. It’s all about stimulating emotions to move people to act and decide. They do that when they feel positive, hopeful and confident.

They’ll visit your site and content and likely evaluate its “spam index” to decide whether they want to be associated with you. Your brand should be credible, trustworthy, enthusiastic, generous and sincerely helpful for maximum validation.

Creating Resonance

Resonance is the opposite of dissonance. It’s important to create sympatico with your audience.

Other travel websites do want to link to your content because it adds value to their credibility and their own customer’s experience. Read your target’s web material and perhaps adopt some of their tone and vocabulary, as it will resonate with them more powerfully.

Building excellent content that meshes and supports their content is how to get their links. I’ve done this many times in many fields. People are online and they find your blog posts one day. And when your blog has this “link to us” psychology (subtle), they feel an underlying compulsion to validate their own values by linking to your site.

Let’s say your travel site sells Costa Rica Tours. Just talking venues, experiences, and attractions may not be enough. But when you promote a town or tourist area, and compliment local businesses and the people there, they will want to support that, if not reward you.

Link building in this way is strategic (and perhaps psychologically manipulative), but link creation is value creation. When you craft your articles/stories expertly and strategically with excellent images/video and tips, readers are immersed and don’t feel coerced. They just love it. They don’t understand your strategy, and if done subtly, they just feel it’s part of an enthusiastic, passionate content experience.

It’s a win-win for everyone!

That means designing content to be shared. Of course, you’re designing many other objectives into your content pieces. And your blog overall, is a theme that carries big-picture meanings. When the theme is right and focused, you become more significant to the reader (or publisher). A blog on San Jose attractions has more effect on Costa Rica travelers, businesses and tourists.

And there are millions of travel bloggers, travel journalists and travel influencers to be reached and impacted with your “link value proposition.” And as I mentioned, it’s basically an extension of your business value proposition. Many of the best links are acquired through business connections, networking, and transactions. Partner companies link to you because they have to.

If you’re vital and significant, you’re going to get linked.

Travel Website Link-Building Techniques

Combine advanced SEO techniques with these advanced link-building ideas:

networking with tourism businesses
work with your sales team not just to create a sale, but to build a presence in their business and on their website (have sharable material your sales team can readily give a new travel partner prospect)
find brand mentions on the web, and ask the author to give a real live link to your site
work hard to make your site more appetizing, exciting, valuable and credible
use customer stories, insights, events and your actions (real world experience) because this info is what gets shared
make your content mesh with what they’re saying to their audiences (yours complements theirs)
create a website page or section where travelers/partners can grab content to use on their site
create attractive advertising banners to use in social posts and add them to your sharable material
connecting with people on Facebook and Linkedin
use SemRush or ahrefs SEO tools to identify all backlinks to all your competitors collectively, then prepare to get links from those websites
consider using Pitchbox ($350/month) to reach bloggers and influencers and keep track of communications with them
create blog posts that feature or highlight businesses
create top travel destination attractions posts for each country
offering a catalog of images for tour companies to use on their websites (just ask that they link to your site)
network with travel and tourism bloggers
reward those who leave positive messages on review sites with a sharable gift of appreciation so they can recommend you more!
create and promote resources for digital nomads
create a contest for bloggers on the most unique, fun destination, tour, hotel or beach experiences
partner with travel influencers
work with your affiliate manager to influence them to use your content
create valuable, attractive original content specifically for your affiliates to use in their organic content (blogs, social media)
work with reputable, skilled and capable link-building agencies that have a wealth of journalist and customer connections
create linkable content and promote it strongly with interesting headlines and images
create content is unique and perhaps nichey, but try to tie it to popular topics to remain more relevant to most publishers
create and design short YouTube videos primarily for sharing purposes
comment on travel videos and travel blogs and ensure the blogger is aware of your relevant content
guest blog on travel websites
partner with travel publications and provide photography, interview sources
contact websites that link to your competitors for mentions or guest posts
joining travel communities on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin
let bloggers know they can use some of your content (email them and let them know you’re here to help them create great content)
check your competitions backlinks to see where they’ve enjoyed success
Use SEMrush or ahrefs tools to check all travel site’s backlink profiles to find any broken links that might contact owners about it to link to your content instead
contact other sites to offer them an update on content pieces they wrote (such as new restaurants that readers will enjoy visiting at the destination).
create news updates that represent the most current view/info about a destination

There’s nothing more link-worth than exceptional content.

Blog a lot on popular topics/themes because the more posts you publish, the more opportunity to be relevant to all relevant audiences. If you have to, use ChatGPT to create article outlines for your blog and for guests posts you hope to write. This cuts down on development time.

Use keywords in close proximity to headings, links and images in your page, because bloggers often just cut and paste your copy into their post. Use quotes from significant people, because bloggers love that kind of material. When that snippet of content has your keywords and company name in it, it gives you a bigger link boost.

One thing I want to mention too, is regarding Google’s EEAT ranking signal. You can fashion link text or text snippets to mention your experience, customers, or stellar reputation. It hints at your “real life experience.” This is very sophisticated content manipulation, but with link building — you need to keep Google’s algorithm factors in mind.

Link Building Agencies?

Link building is time-consuming and very hard work. Journalists and influencers aren’t easy to reach. You might be interested in augmenting with a link-building agency. I’ve been interested many times. I have hired link builders but the outcome was less than inspiring. Major link-building companies are usually involved in general industries and don’t have strengths in niches such as travel. The value proposition was weak, unproven, and overpriced.

Their weakness arises from the fact they’re not experts in travel, so they likely won’t have the power/influence to get major travel industry sites to link to your site. It all comes back to you. Industry expertise is valuable.

The best link-building companies typically charge $4000 to $10,000 a month. If you use them to augment your link-building it could be effective. If you’re looking for market leadership, a 6-month engagement with them might work well. They may have some reach to powerful websites, journalists and influencers with a process that’s required by that circle. These links may be valuable. In each case, it’s your skill in managing them that’s essential. On their own, they just do what’s best for them.

Recording your link-building activity. I don’t know of a link-building management software available but it would be helpful if it:

helps you keep track of communications and links acquired
helps you gauge link-building performance

You’ll certainly want to keep track of your current inbound links. Competitors will conspire to swipe those links and replace them with their own. They may pay the blogger/publisher to replace your link with theirs. This is why it’s important to review your backlinks, see which have changed, and make efforts to nurture/continue the relationship with that publisher (loyalty). It helps to ward off predators and protect these precious investments.

Once you get into your full content and promotion strategy, you’ll begin to see and create new link-building opportunities.
Don’t forget to build a strong, attractive brand. Often, publishers will only link to companies with a good brand that has popularity, trust, and an image of value.

You can’t get something for nothing, so approach link building as a value-generating activity. Once established, your contacts and network will give ongoing links throughout the years ahead.

Acquiring links is important and it has a high dollar value. And you may get actual business leads via those link referrals on other travel industry websites.

Don’t worry about not being perfect. It’s a skill and takes time to perfect. It’s this big-picture strategy that creates high-quality links, not spammy link-building tactics.