Tourism SEO: attracting customers before they arrive
The Tourism SEO allows companies to engage customers just as they are planning their holidays. In 2024, the Canary Islands received more than 18 million tourists, The market is huge and competition is fierce. The key is to appear on Google when travellers search for information about your destination before booking flights, hotels or activities.
But with so much on offer, it is not enough to offer good services or an attractive destination. If your business is not well positioned in Google, you will lose customers to your competitors.
In this article we are going to explain how to improve your visibility on Google to get more bookings and increase your sales with a well applied SEO strategy.
Tourism in the Canary Islands
Tourism is a fundamental pillar of the Canary Islands' economy. In 2024, this sector represented more than 36% of regional GDP and generated more than 350,000 jobs. Most visitors are attracted by the climate, beaches and gastronomy, with the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands as the main markets.
Last year, more than 18 million tourists visited the Canary Islands, and their spending exceeded 20 billion euros. With such a competitive market, companies in the sector must stand out in the digital environment to attract customers before they arrive.
This is where the Tourism SEO allows businesses to rank on Google just when travellers are planning their holidays.
What is SEO and why is it important?
The Tourism SEO optimise your website to appear at the top of Google results when travellers search for destinations, accommodation or activities. This is key because most plan their holidays from their home country.
Businesses such as Teide By Night y Overfly Tenerife capture customers before they arrive thanks to their good positioning in markets such as Germany and the UK. If your company is well optimised, you can attract more advance bookings and gain an edge over the competition.
Benefits of SEO for the tourism sector
The SEO allows your business to appear on Google just as tourists are planning their trip, improving your visibility and bookings.
In addition, being in the top results generates trust on travellers and reduces reliance on intermediary platforms, giving you more control over your sales.
In such a competitive industry, a well-implemented SEO strategy helps you to stand out from the competition and secure customers ahead of their arrival..
Key tourism SEO strategies to attract more customers
In order for the SEO It is not enough to have a website; you must apply strategies that help you stand out in searches.
1. Key words
Identify the terms that tourists use when searching about Tenerife and your sector. Key words as «excursions in Tenerife».», «hotels in Adeje» o «best beaches in Tenerife».» can drive qualified traffic to your website. Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner o Semrush to find them and optimise your content with them.
2. Creating useful and relevant content
Publishing content increases your visibility on Google and improves the user experience. You can create travel guides on what to do in Tenerife, articles with restaurant and activity recommendations, or tips during their stay. The more useful your content is, the more visitors you will attract and the longer they will stay on your website, which will also improve your ranking.
3. Local SEO: optimise your Google My Business presence
Having a well-optimised Google My Business listing allows you to appear in local searches such as «restaurants in Arona» or «car hire in Tenerife». Make sure you keep your name, address and phone number up to date, include quality photos, a description and respond to customer reviews.
4. Link building
Getting mentions on relevant sites improves your Google ranking. You can appear in travel blogs, collaborate with influencers specialised in tourism or register in directories such as Tripadvisor or Booking. This type of linking reinforces the authority of your website and increases its visibility.
5. Mobile optimisation
Most tourists look for information on their mobile phones. Your website should load fast, have an adapted design and allow easy booking. A slow or difficult-to-navigate site can cause users to abandon your site in favour of your competitors.
Would you like one of our SEO Analysts to audit your website?
Local SEO: the key to attracting tourists near you
The Local SEO allows tourism businesses to appear in specific searches within the island. This is a key strategy for attracting tourists who are preparing their trip or are in the destination and are looking for services nearby.
1. Get and manage customer reviews
Online reviews play a key role in travellers' decision making. A business with good reviews builds trust and attracts more customers.
Encourage your customers to leave a review. Writing and responding to all reviews, both positive and negative, strengthens the reputation of the business. Google prioritises those with the best reviews, which improves visibility in search results.
2. Register in tourism directories and platforms
Being present on sites such as Tripadvisor, Booking, Yelp or local tourism platforms helps to attract more visitors and improves positioning in searches related to the sector. In addition, these portals have authority in Google, which benefits your SEO.
3. Take advantage of geolocation on social networks
Tourists use Instagram and TikTok to discover places and activities. Posting content with geolocated locations, using local hashtags and collaborating with influencers can increase the reach of your business and generate more interaction with potential customers.
4. Create content optimised for local search
Tourists are looking for destination-specific information, so generating useful content on your website will help you attract more visitors.
Tourism SEO success stories in Tenerife
At Marketzilla SEO agency, We have collaborated with local businesses that have managed to increase their visibility and advance bookings by applying SEO strategies.
Teide By Night has managed to position itself in searches such as «excursions to Teide by night».», attracting tourists interested in unique experiences in Tenerife. Thanks to its visibility on Google, many bookings are confirmed before visitors arrive on the island.
Overfly Tenerife, which specialises in paragliding flights, has improved keywords such as «paragliding in Tenerife». This has helped him to attract customers and increase his bookings.
Both businesses have implemented key strategies to improve their positioning. They have worked on keywords relevant to tourists, developed content in several languages and strengthened their local SEO. In addition, they have managed and answered customer reviews, generating greater trust and credibility.
If you have a business you can replicate these strategies to increase your visibility and bookings.
Tourism SEO to attract customers
The Tourism SEO is a key tool for businesses in Tenerife and the Canary Islands that want to attract customers before they arrive. With millions of tourists planning their trips online, being in Google's top results increases your visibility and bookings.
Many local businesses have already successfully implemented SEO strategies, attracting tourists at the planning stage and outperforming larger competitors.
If you want your tourism business to stand out and attract more customers, it's time to optimise your SEO strategy. The sooner you do it, the sooner you will see results.
