The document discusses strategies for increasing visibility in the travel industry through search engine optimization (SEO), social media engagement, local marketing, and mobile optimization. It highlights the importance of unique and engaging content, effective use of keywords, and the need to adapt to evolving digital marketing practices. Additionally, it emphasizes the significance of online reputation and building customer trust to drive loyalty and enhance business growth.

1. Search, Social, Local & Mobile
How to Get Found
SkiTops University
Grand Sierra Resort – Reno, Nevada
July 31, 2012
Image Credit: Tina Cole (All Rights Reserved)

2. How to Get Found
• Start with These – They Help… A Lot…
– Great Product
– Compelling Price
– Loyal Customers
• At One Time, That was Enough… Now Need:
– Search
– Social
– Local
– Mobile
• Marketing Finally Gets Personal
– Individuals Do Not See Same Search or Social Results
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 1
Image Credit: randihauskenr (cc|flickr)

3. Travel Search Statistics (US Market)
• Internet an Integral Tool in Travel Process
– 87% Used Internet for Travel Planning
– 62% Researched Upcoming Trip
– 45% Used for Trip Ideas
– 43% Read Travel Reviews
– 31% Watched Travel Videos
– 24% Read Travel-related Blogs
• Average US Traveler
– Searches 22 Websites Over 10 Sessions
Search Impacts Every Aspect of the Travel Process
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 2
Statistics: Google/IPSOS OTX 2011 |Image Credit: dafuriousd (cc|flickr)

4. SEO - First One to the Top Wins
• Top Positions Receive Clicks & Traffic
• Google CTR Share by Position (1st Page = 52.3%)
1. 18.20%
2. 10.05%
3. 7.22%
• Bing CTR Share by Position (1st Page = 26.5%)
1. 9.66%
2. 5.15%
3. 2.74%
Same Concept Applies to OTA Search & Reviews
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 3
Statistics: Slingshot SEO 2011 Study |Image Credit: serrechevalier (cc|flickr)

5. Interesting Content is Critical
• Great Terrain Suited to Market
• Well Groomed
• Fresh
• Give Every Page a Specific Topic (Keyword)
• 300+ Words of Keyword Relevant Text
• Engaging, Informative & Well Written
• Keep Site Fresh: Use Blog or News Updates
• Lots of Interlinked Pages – Lots of Related Topics
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Image Credit: t i g (cc|flickr)

6. Traditional SEO Methods
• Page Content Must be Meaningful to Users
– Algorithms are Computer Based Rules
– SEO Makes Pages Relevant to Machines (Search Bots)
– PageRank – Google’s Method of Prioritizing Best Pages
• Relevance Signals
– Use of Keywords/Phrases Popular for Search
– Consistent Structure - Heading, Title, URL & Meta-Tags
• Authority Signals
– Site Traffic
– Inbound Links from Authoritative Sites
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Image Credit: yvynyl (cc|flickr)

7. SEO - On Page Optimization
• Titles
– Business Name, Keywords, Phone Number
• Meta Tags
– Description is Displayed as Snippet in Search Results
• Header Tags
– Header 1 = Business/Site Name | Header 2 = Page Title
– Plus Bold / Italic / Quote Text Styles
• Body Text
– Keywords, Related Synonyms & Long Tail Keywords
– Density – Use Keyword Approximately 1x per 50 Words of Text
• Excerpt
– For Blogs, Use Manually Drafted Excerpt to Summarize Article
• Links
– Relevant Anchor Text with Keyword to Related Page
– Use Permalinks - Page Title Included in URL
• Images
– Keywords in File Name, Caption, Title & Alt Tags
– Use Smush.It to Reduce Image Size & Keep Quality
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Image Credit: juan carlos labarca (cc|flickr)
Image Credit: XXXXXXXXXXXX (flickr)

8. New SEO Methods
• Shift from Web of Pages to Web of Data
– Semantic Markup & Micro-formats Define Context
• Relevance Signals
– Schema.org – Bing, Google, Yahoo & Yandex
• Structured Format to Understand Meaning of Content
– Defines Relationships Between Pieces of Data
– Sentiment/Patterns of Friends & “Similar” People
• Authority Signals
– Original Author Identification
– Authority of that Author in “Your World”
– Canonical Link Defines Site as Original Publisher
– Rel=Author Link to Google+ Profile & Author Page
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Image Credit: juan carlos labarca (cc|flickr)

9. Black Hat SEO – Don’t Go There
• Paid Links
– Buying Inbound Links from High PageRank Sites
• Blog Spam
– Blog Comments Creating Inbound Links
• Cloaking
– Search Bots & Humans See Different Information
• Keyword-focused Secondary/Tertiary Sites
– Located on Separate C-blocks
• Hacking Competitor Sites (Crap Hat)
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Image Credit: IanL (cc|flickr)

10. Never Underestimate
So, You Think You’re
Your Competition
Pretty Clever?…
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 9
Image Credit: BMW Blog

11. A Cynic’s Perspective of Social MEdia
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 10
Image Credit: Tim in Sydney (cc|flickr)

12. Social Media Explained with Donuts
• Twitter • Facebook
– I’m eating a donut – I like donuts
• YouTube • Foursquare
– Watch me eat a donut – Where I eat donuts
• Instagram • Pinterest
– A vintage donut photo – Here’s a donut recipe
• Blog • LinkedIn
– My insights on donuts – Experienced donut eater
• Google+
– I’m a Google employee who eats donuts
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 11
Hat Tip: Geeks.com Image Credit: vnysia (cc|flickr)

13. Social Travel Statistics
• 76% Post Vacation Photos to Social Networks
• 70% Update Facebook Status on Vacation
• 55% Like Vacation-related Facebook Pages
• 46% Post Hotel Reviews
• 40% Post Activity Reviews
• 40% Post Restaurant Reviews
• 16% Post Travel Reviews
• 11% Comment on Travel Reviews
• 11% Upload Travel-related Video
• 9% Comment on Travel-related Videos
• 7% Participate in a Travel Blog
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 12
Statistics: Four Pillars Hotels Infographic 2012 |Image Credit: Zach Dischner (cc|flickr)

14. Fairy Tale Relationship with Your Clients?
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 13
Image: Defence Images (cc|Flickr)

15. Customer Engagement is a Relationship
• Not Just Broadcasting
– Active Listening
– Relevant Communication
– Mutual Understanding
• Participate Where Clients Are
– Be Respectful & Contribute
Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome
“If you focus on the tools, then you are one.”
- @jacobm, Chess Media Group
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Image: joshfassbind.com (Flickr)

16. Social Media Optimization
• Know Your Audience
• Participate & Create Content
• Encourage Reuse of Your Content
• Make Sharing Easy with Social Icons
• Distribute Your Content
– RSS Feed, Email Newsletter, Status Updates
• Be an Unselfish Resource to Others
• Be Humble | Be Real
• Engage with Helpful Users
• Try New Things | Experiment
SkiTops University ● Reno, Nevada Search, Social, Local & Mobile ● How to Get Found Robert Cole ● RockCheetah | 15
Image Credit: Andre Charland (cc|flickr)

17. Old School Social Media
• Engagement
– Number of Followers
• Quality Beats Quantity
• Sentiment
– Number of Likes
• Baited by Incentives or a True Preference?
• Metrics
– Klout Score
• Rewards High Volume of Posts and Interaction
• Return on Investment
– It’s Not Really About That… Really???
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Image Credit: planetlight (cc|flickr)

18. Social Media Performance Measures
• Set Goals & Define Metrics - Why Are You Doing This?
– Hint: Track Outcomes, NOT Activities
• Conversion Rate
– Subscriptions/Purchases per Visit
• Conversation Rate
– Comments/Replies per Post
• Amplification Rate
– Shares/Re-tweets per Post
• Applause Rate
– Likes/Favorites per Post
• Economic Value of Engagement
– Sum of Short & Long Term Revenue + Cost Savings
– Calculate per Visit Goal Value by Social Channel
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Hat tip: Avinash Kaushik | Image Credit: planetlight ( (cc|flickr)

19. Online Reputation Is VERY Important
• Travel Reviews Impacting Traveler Decisions
– 52% Changed Original Travel Plans
– 10% Changed Travel Agent / Operator / Website
– 33% Changed Hotel – 7% to Different Country
– 10% Switched Resorts – 5% Switched Airlines
“40% of luxury travelers will not book a hotel room if
there are no online customer reviews.”
- @FourSeasons
Help Fans & Advocates Support Your Efforts
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Statistics: Funsherpa Infographic 2012 |Image Credit: couloir (cc|flickr)

20. Local (Location Based Services)
• Directories
– Update Listings in All Local Directories
• Yelp, Citysearch, MapQuest, Yahoo, Superpages, Yellowbook
– Yext is Simple Tool
• Apps
– Foursquare
– Facebook Check-Ins
– Google+ Local
• Location Signals
– Explicit (Check-In)
– Implicit (Instagram Photo)
– Passive (Highlight App – People Around you)
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Image Credit: WorldIslandInfo.com (cc|flickr)

21. Innovative Location Examples
• Bar Snipers
– Follow Followers of Competitors
• Many Follow Back / Birds Eye to Geo-target
– Foursquare - Merchant Tools
• Target Previous Check-ins or Those Liking Venue
• Conference Kidnappers
– Check Group Website/Facebook Pages for Dates
– Offer Special Rates After Cut-off, etc.
– Target People Liking Event Sponsors on Facebook
• Text Message Flash Mobbers
– Attract a Motivated Crowd in Minutes
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Image Credit: henribergius (cc|flickr)

22. Mobile – Devices Not Created Equal
• Consumers Expect a Consistent Experience
– Desktop | Tablet | Smartphone
• Devices Used for Different Purposes
– What Reason for Traveler to Download/Use App?
• Native Apps versus Mobile Web Pages
– HTML5 Permits Web Access to GPS, Camera, etc.
– Responsive Website Design Auto-Reformats Page
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Image Credit: blakespot (cc|flickr)

23. Mobile Statistics
• 86% Mobile Internet Users Online Watching TV
• 85% Use Smartphone on Leisure Trips
• 82% Mobile Users Booked Hotel Within 1 Day of Arrival
• 70% Mobile Users Book Single Hotel Room Same Night
• 66% Unlikely Return to Mobile Site After Problem
• 58% Mobile Users Located Within 20 Miles of Hotel
• 30% Use Mobile Apps to Find Hotel Deals
• 29% Use Mobile Apps to Find Flight Deals
• 20% of Mobile Visits Result in Click to Call
• 20% of Hotel Queries Originate From Mobile Devices
• 15% Mobile Users Downloaded Vacation Mobile Apps
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IStatistics: Google/IPSOS OTX 2011 |mage Credit: tomkellyphoto (cc|flickr)

24. How Will Apple iTravel Impact Travel?
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Hat Tip: Patently Apple | Image Credit: Trondheim Byarkiv (cc|flickr)

25. Top 10 Mobile Best Practices
1. Keep it Quick – Site Loads Fast
2. Simplify Navigation – Vertical Scrolling
3. Thumb-friendly – Use Large, Centered Buttons
4. Design for Visibility – Readable Font/Contrast
5. Accessible – HTML5/Not Flash for Animation
6. Easy to Convert – Without a Mouse
7. Make it Local – Include Address/Phone Number
8. Seamless Experience – Align with Desktop
9. Use Mobile Redirects – Auto Load Mobile Site
10.Listen, Learn & Iterate – Test & Monitor Metrics
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Image Credit: Telstar Logistics (cc|flickr)

26. Mobile Performance Measures
• Mobile Web • Mobile App
– Active Daily users – Download App
– Time Spent on Site – App Favorite / Like
– Page Views – App Rating
– Click-stream – App Comment
– Clicks to Call – Active Daily users
– SMS/Text Subscription – Time Spent Using App
– Map/Directions Use – Function / Module Use
– Check-In – mCommerce Revenue
– Purchases – Profitability
– mCommerce Revenue
– Profitability
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Image Credit: geoftheref (cc|flickr)

27. Loyalty is Based on Values, Not Points
• Example: jetBlue
– Integrity
– Passion
– Safety
– Caring
– Fun
Value Drives Transactions ● Values Drive Loyalty
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Image Credit: maistora (cc|flickr)

28. Trust is Earned, Not Bought
If You Disappoint Your Customers, They WILL Get Even…
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Image Credit: juhansonin (cc|flickr)

29. Summary – How to Get Found
• Set Clear Objectives
– Ask Why You Are Doing This? Measure Outcomes
• Search
– Interesting Page Content + SEO Friendly Structure
• Social
– Participate Where Customers Are | Help, Don’t Sell
• Local
– Update All Directories | Experiment with Targeting
• Mobile
– Consider How Customers Interact | What Device Used
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Image Credit: John & Mel Kots (cc|flickr)

30. Thank You
Questions?
Copies of the Presentation?
Comments?
Robert Cole
skype: robertkcole
twitter: @robertkcole
phone: +1.262.309.9560
web: rockcheetah.com/blog
email: robert@rockcheetah.com
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