Online travel agencies (OTAs) are valuable tools for businesses in the travel industry. These platforms connect tour operators with a global audience, offering an excellent way to boost visibility and bookings while supporting your direct booking efforts.
However, simply listing your tours isn’t enough to generate sales. Higher OTA rankings are key to standing out in search results, directly impacting visibility and ultimately boosting bookings and revenue.
This guide is ideal for business owners in the tour and travel industry who want to optimize their OTA listings and improve OTA rankings to rise above competitors and increase sales.
How OTA Rankings Work
Knowing how online travel agencies rank listings is important for increasing visibility and bookings. They prioritize user experience by ensuring travellers see the most relevant and appealing options first. To achieve this, OTAs use smart algorithms.
Understanding OTA Algorithms
OTA algorithms are designed to match travellers with listings that best meet their needs. The platforms assess relevance, quality, and likelihood of conversion to optimize the user experience. For example, listings with accurate descriptions, positive reviews, and good prices are more likely to appear higher in OTA search results.
Factors Influencing Rankings
There are a number of factors that can improve OTA rankings. Common ones include customer reviews, response rates, and listing completeness, as well as pricing accuracy and engagement levels. A listing with lots of glowing reviews, reasonable pricing, and quick response times tends to rank higher than one without these qualities.
Different Approaches by Each OTA
While factors are similar across OTAs, every online travel agency has a unique approach to determining rankings. Viator, for instance, may weigh reviews and booking volume more heavily, whereas GetYourGuide might focus more on pricing and availability. You can consult platform-specific guides for detailed information.
Core Ranking Principles Across Platforms
Despite some differences, certain principles stay consistent across all OTAs, including Expedia, Viator, and GetYourGuide. These include prioritizing customer satisfaction, accurate information, and timely responses to inquiries. By focusing on these fundamentals, your listing can perform well with better OTA rankings and funnel traffic to your direct booking platforms.
Optimizing Your OTA Listing to Boost Rankings
The following strategies can help your business climb the search results and drive more bookings.
A. Complete and Optimize Your Profile
- Use High-Quality Photos: The first thing customers notice is the visuals. Using high-resolution professional images can capture attention instantly. Showcase your tours, unique experiences, and scenic spots to entice potential customers.
- Make Your Descriptions Compelling: Write engaging descriptions that clearly explain what your tour offers. Highlight great features, experiences, and what makes your service special. Avoid lengthy paragraphs — be concise to hold the reader’s interest.
- Provide Accurate and Detailed Information: Ensure your listing includes every detail a traveller might want to know, like availability, tour duration, amenities, and pricing. Missing information can lead to confusion, low OTA rankings, and lost bookings.
B. Encourage Positive Reviews
- Prompt Guests for Feedback: Reviews can make or break your ranking. Encourage customers to leave a review after their experience. A simple follow-up email or a gentle reminder after tours can get you more reviews.
- Respond to Reviews: Show that you care by responding to both positive and negative reviews. Acknowledging feedback, especially complaints, can cultivate trust and improve OTA rankings.
- Leverage Reviews for Rankings and Conversions: Listings with more customer reviews will usually rank better than those with few or no reviews. Having more reviews on your listing also helps with converting visitors.
C. Competitive Pricing
- Keep Prices Updated: OTAs tend to rank listings higher if they consistently provide up-to-date pricing. Also, make sure your pricing strategy matches current rates (particularly during peak seasons) and is competitive within the market.
- Offer Deals or Discounts: Strategic discounts and limited-time offers can increase your visibility on OTAs. Promotions like early-bird deals or last-minute discounts encourage bookings and can temporarily boost your online travel agency ranking.
D. Maintain a High Response Rate
- Respond to Inquiries Fast: Tourists often have questions before making a booking. Replying promptly builds trust and may also boost your ranking. Many OTAs have response time as an OTA ranking factor.
- Use OTA Management Tools: Managing multiple listings across various platforms can be tough. Tools like Rezgo’s online booking system simplify this process by integrating multiple OTA accounts, so users are always on top of their bookings and customer information.
Improving Conversion Rates to Boost Bookings
Beyond ranking high on OTAs, you want to convert visitors into paying customers. Here are some ways to do that.
A. Provide Accurate and Transparent Information
Accurate and clear information helps set the right expectations and reduces lost sales. Provide up-to-date details about what the tour or activity includes, any restrictions or requirements, and what customers need to bring. Misleading or unclear descriptions can harm your OTA rankings if there are negative reviews.
B. Highlight Unique Selling Points (USPs)
Stand out by showing how your tours are unique. Do you offer exclusive access to landmarks, eco-friendly practices, or small group sizes for a personalized experience? Emphasize these aspects to grab attention.
C. Use an Online Booking Engine Connected With an OTA
An integrated booking engine, like Rezgo, allows customers to book directly from your website, while also centralizing pricing and availability by connecting with OTAs. This decreases booking friction, improving conversions. Rezgo’s price sheets can also help automate tour pricing and simplify online travel agency OTA commission management.
Next Steps
To improve OTA rankings and start increasing bookings, follow these steps:
Assess Your Current OTA Listings
Review your profiles for completeness and accuracy. You don’t want missed opportunities. See to it that you have high-quality visuals and engaging descriptions on your listings.
Check Amenities, Pricing, and Availability Fields
Make the most impactful updates first, focusing on images, descriptions, reviews, pricing, etc. Regularly request reviews and be sure to respond actively. Don’t forget to offer seasonal deals or discounts on tour offerings.
Track and Adjust
Monitor OTA rankings and booking rates vigilantly. Identify what is working and adapt your strategy based on results.
Streamlining operations with tools like Rezgo makes booking easier and helps capture conversions directly from online travel agencies. Investing time in optimizing listings leads to more bookings and more satisfied customers!
Written By | Rezgo
