A report from iPerceptions suggests that the travel and hospitality industries can improve site traffic and sales with SEO strategies.

A report on the travel industry from iPerceptions found that 27 percent of website visitors to various travel or hospitality websites landed on the page through search engines. Search traffic was bested only by direct website visits, which accounted for 28 percent of traffic to these sites, iPerceptions said.

While making reservations was the No. 1 reason for search-derived website visits, 20 percent said they were looking for information on the best plans or deals for themselves (which would likely result in future purchases). The trend is just another example of increased use of search engines to research purchase decisions. Moreover, 14 percent of respondents said the reason they haven’t made a purchase yet is that they’re still looking.

Businesses in the travel and hospitality industries can use these insights to develop a sound content marketing plan. Developing original branded content that addresses the issues prospects want to learn about can help a website move up search rankings for discovery, and providing the best information to users will help travel marketers appeal to online audiences, no matter how they land on a site.

In terms of the hospitality industry, a local search strategy can be a great addition to the internet marketing arsenal. Nearby consumers looking for restaurant information are similarly inclined to use search to locate new options.

Brafton recently reported that businesses can improve their local SEO campaigns by focusing on region-based keyword strategies and the use of services, such as Google Places, to ensure contact information is easy to find on SERPs.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.