If you have a travel blog on your destination marketing website, you probably already have a sense of its value. Travelers who are in the interested and considering stages of their travel planning often make their decisions based on online blogs and articles about the destination. For example, one of our own destination marketing clients draws more than half of its website traffic from organic search via a blog. Potential travelers love to research and dream about their future vacation by looking at things to do, places to eat and scenic photos of the area – and you can capture this audience with your blog.
Why Blogs Work
Hosting a blog is also one of the best ways to improve your website's SEO. By posting weekly, the new content on your blog keeps your website fresh, which SEO spiders (the digital doo-dads that run around the internet ecosystem and rank good and bad content) really like. Having a blog also means that visitors are apt to stay on your site longer, which tells Google you have valuable content, increasing your favorability. Lastly, a blog allows you more keyword opportunities than your less content-heavy web pages. You can weave different types of keywords into your posts to increase your ranking for those search terms.
Need more proof? Read Why Blogging is Key to Destination Marketing.
Planning Relevant Blog Content
When it comes time to plan out content for your blog, you ultimately want it to be relevant to potential visitors. Think about what people want to know about your destination. What’s it famous for? What kinds of activities or attractions draw the most visitors? Do some keyword research and social listening to better understand the conversation around your destination. Then, use your blog to speak to those interests and answer questions.
To get you started, here are 15 blog ideas that will attract readers to any destination.
Blog Ideas for Your Destination Marketing Website
1. Top Bars and Restaurants
When you arrive in a new city, hungry from your travels, where do you look to find somewhere to eat? Probably Google. People are steadily searching for places to eat, drink or enjoy nightlife, and you can be a resource to them with your blog content. You might publish a blog about the 10 best restaurants in your destination, but if your city is a foodie paradise with lots of options, you can create a range of blog content on this topic. Get specific, with blogs dedicated to certain styles of food, types of bars or the best breweries in the area.
2. Seasonal Events Lists
Highlight what’s going on in your destination at least once each season with a list of local and nearby events that tourists will enjoy. You might cluster these events around certain holidays, like 10 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in your destination, or by category, like 5 Concerts in [City] You Can’t Miss This Summer. Travelers are always looking for events to attend during peak seasons, and as the local DMO (destination marketing organization), you’re the expert in what’s coming up.
3. Local Makers in Your Destination
Visitors love to find local, unique goods when they travel. Plus, people today are more likely to shop local to support the economies they travel in. Showcase what’s special about the entrepreneurs in your area and highlight those products that can’t be found anywhere else.
4. Best Places to Shop in Your Destination
For many travelers, shopping is a big part of a vacation. Everyone loves scoring a special souvenir on their trip, and the shopping experience itself can be a fun and relaxing activity. Does your destination have an idyllic main street, a one-of-a-kind mall or a colorful arts district? Answer the call for those looking for some retail therapy on their vacation.
5. Top Things to Do in Your Destination
As unoriginal as it may seem, every DMO blog should have a list of the top things to do in your destination. Why? People search the phrase “things to do in [destintion]” ALL THE TIME. There may be similar blogs already on the internet about your destination, and that’s okay. Work to make your blog the best resource on the topic, and it’ll find its way to the top of the SERPs.
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6. Planning the Perfect Day Trip to (Nearby Attraction)
For travelers looking to venture just outside of your destination for a day, offer some day trips that can bring a little variety to the experience. Especially if you’re in a location where renting a car is common, day trips can be an extra perk, broadening opportunities during a visit.
7. Getting to Your Destination
What’s the best way to get there? A DMO is the perfect resource to answer this question, with important information about flights, trains, highways, rental cars and more. Use this blog to highlight your nearest airports, easy direct flights and opportunities for road trips. Save people the research on several travel websites and point them exactly where they need to go.
8. Guide to (Popular Activity) in Your Destination
Most destinations have an activity that they’re famous for. Maybe it’s wine tasting, skiing, visiting a national park or concert-going. Whatever your destination’s thing is, create a guide that includes everything visitors should know about that activity. Have more than one awesome activity? Even better! Write a separate blog for each one.
9. What’s New in Your Destination?
Attractions, places to eat and drink, and things to do are always changing, so it’s nice to give travelers an update every now and then. Especially if your destination is growing and going through changes, people who visited long ago might want to return to see what’s new and different.
10. Incredible Places to Stay in Your Destination
From swanky high-rise hotels to historic bed and breakfasts and guest ranches, show prospective visitors that there’s a place to stay for everyone and every budget. Include descriptions and links to hotel websites so readers can easily book when they’re ready.
11. 5 Things You Can Only Do in Your Destination
Emphasize what’s unique about your destination with quirky or out-of-the-ordinary activities in your area that can’t be found anywhere else.
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12. Best Art Galleries and Experiences
Lots of travelers enjoy viewing and purchasing local art, or even doing some art of their own (think wine and paint nights or local craft classes). Explore these opportunities in a blog for those looking for some culture in their travels.
13. 5 Ways to Treat Yourself in Your Destination
When on vacation, most travelers will go out of their way to treat themselves, indulging a little more than they normally would. Round up the spas, hot springs, bakeries and other ways to indulge while in your destination.
14. Best Views in Your Destination
Whether for the most likable Instagram photo or the perfect place to watch the sunset, everyone loves a good view. Make a list of the best ones in your destination, and consider embedding Instagram posts of each view taken by other travelers who’ve enjoyed them.
15. 10 Facts About Your Destination You Didn’t Know
Every city has its historical tidbits, resident celebrities and obscure world records. Compile them in a blog that will be pleasantly surprising to many.
Looking to draw more traffic to your destination’s website through a helpful blog? Download our guide to SEO best practices for blogs. You’ll learn how to optimize every blog for the largest possible audience.
If you enjoyed this edition of PRIME Pulse, take a look at some of our other related articles:
- Why Blogging is Key to Destination Marketing
- New Tools Destination Marketers Should Know About
- 9 Types of Paid Advertising to Use for Destination Marketing
- 4 Questions to Ask When Branding a Destination
