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DIGITAL MARKETING
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The power of SEO
Marwick Marketing CEO Christian Thomson, explains how to build a steady flow of bookings without busting the bank.
Learn more about Marwick at www. MarwickMarketing.co.uk or call on 0117 463 6979 to book a complimentary discovery call. Tourism in the south west certainly has its ups and downs but generating a steady flow of bookings doesn’t need to be a rollercoaster. While many tourism businesses have taken to social media in recent years to boost their bottom line - one digital marketing channel still reigns supreme - Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Each month over 12,000 people turn to Google to search “holidays in Cornwall” compared to 5,400 people searching for “holidays in Devon”. This is nothing compared to the hundreds of variations of search terms people use to research and find their next getaway. SEO is simply turning your website into a trusted resource full of unique, upto-date information that is easy to find, fast to load and secure to the end user. In return, search engines like Google will reward you with higher placements and thus more relevant website traffic all year round.
So, what is Search Engine Optimisation?
Many businesses think that SEO is simply adding keywords to a page. However, it actually covers six core areas, all of which need equal attention.
• On-site SEO - this covers the SEO elements on your website itself. Items like page titles, meta descriptions, image file names, ALT tags and the written content of a website.
• Off-site SEO - this covers the elements away from your website, most notably, your backlink portfolio. For example, which websites link to you, and how they link to your website. Not all backlinks are created equally, so understanding the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly can pay dividends.
• Website load time - there’s no point having an optimised website if it takes longer than a couple of seconds to load on a mobile phone. This will frustrate the end user and search engines will demote your website simply on this metric. Searching for
“Google Page Insights” will provide you with a free online testing tool. • Security - just like load time, search engines want to send people to a secure website. Not having a https certificate will directly hinder your ability to rank the website higher. • Citations - when someone searches for “hotel in Falmouth” Google and other search engines reference the entire internet not just your website to locate geographical locations. A citation is a reference to your business online (except your website) that shows details of your business. The more citations you have the better understanding Google will have of where your business is located in the real world.
To find out if your website is optimised, there are free tools you can use like www.GrowWithGoogle.co.uk. Just input your website (and a competitor’s website) along with a keyword. Within 30 seconds it will produce a free report showing you ways to improve your website!
Wild Card is a PR and Social Media agency based in Truro (as well as Bristol and London), boasting clients including The Nare, Watergate Bay, Tresco Island, Cornishware, Ward Williams and Hub Box. We’re incredibly proud to be a B Corp business and being a B Corp has put us in good stead to coach other local businesses through their B Corp comms journey, as well as to advise them on the reputational & operational opportunities of achieving this important accreditation. So why does B Corp matter? And what do you need to know if you’re thinking of taking the B Corp plunge? On behalf of our local hotel and travel clients, we recently polled 1,000 UK adults about the impact B Corp accreditation has on their purchasing decisions. We found that when it comes to buying domestic breaks, amongst those who are aware of B-Corp (just over half of people interviewed), the majority (84%) say this is an important factor when deciding whether to purchase from a company. This kind of research finding is incredibly reassuring that we are going on the right journey with our clients.
Behind the B
Wild Card MD, Georgie Upton, explains why becoming a B Corp is good for business.
We also discovered that one in three people would discuss the company’s commitment to good environmental and sustainable practice with friends and family, and a similar number would discuss how the company treats its neighbours and invests in the local community. This stuff matters to consumers, not just for travel businesses but across the board. And, at the same time, it can have a tangible impact on the bottom line of your business. Using Wild Card as an example, since becoming a B Corp organisation in 2020, every business decision we make is centred around the three Ps of People, Planet and Profit. This singleminded focus, and thorough marketing around it, has future-proofed our business – helping us attract and retain talent, bring in new likeminded clients and drive our profitability upwards. It’s given us an incredible framework for doing better business. If you’re thinking of becoming a B Corp, we’d be very happy to talk to you around how best to work through the communications of it. Get in touch with one of our experienced team at hello@wildcard.co.uk
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