What Google Local can do for your Travel Agency

“I want to be on the first page of Google.”

One of our most requested tasks is hoe to get travel agents’ websites to rank number one for search terms like “cruises.”  They don’t usually like to hear our answer to that request.

Despite all the SPAM you see promising to get your site to the first page of Google, the honest truth is that it is REALLY REALLY hard to rank number one for “cruises.” But, you do have the ability to rank well for some other search terms.

Think locally for a minute.

Think about all the potential customers you have in your town who don’t know about you yet. Think about what their first step is going to be to find a travel agent. That’s right, they are going to go straight to Google and type in “Travel Agent, ______ (your town and/or state here)” or “Cruise Travel  Agent, ______ (your town and/or state here)”.

There is no reason why your agency shouldn’t be ranking in the top ten for that specific local search term. Registering your agency with Google Local Business is your first step to ensuring your rightful place on the first page of Google. Here’s how you do it:
1. Go to the Google Local Business Center and login with your google account (if you don’t have one yet, sign up – it’s free)

2.Click on Add New Business

3.Enter in business information, choose Travel Agency as your main category

4.Click on Add Listing

5.Enter in Hours, add photos, select payment options, and add any additional information

6.Select validation preference (PLEASE NOTE: phone call verification will only work if an actual human answers the phone. No automated systems!) and click on Finish

Once your verification has been completed (either via a phone call or postcard), your local business and website will be successfully registered with Google. Give the search bots a couple weeks to crawl the web and you should start seeing your agency’s rank improve when you search for “Travel Agent, ______”. or“Cruise Travel Agent, ______ (your town and/or state here)”.

Free Travel Agent School. Learn how to become a travel agent and open your own online travel agency. Go to http://homebasedtravelagents.org/