5 Easy SEO Steps for Timeshare Resorts (actually, maybe not so easy)
Do a Google search for “timeshare resort” or even just “resort” and the top search engine response pages (SERPs) are typically for resale or exit companies. True, these companies are able to buy ads and pay-per-click (PPC), but with a little ingenuity and attention, plus a lot of elbow grease, your resort can launch a search engine optimization (SEO) campaign of its own.
Because of Resort Trades’ mission – to bring the most current and relevant timeshare industry information to resort professionals – we recently contracted with a professional (SEO provider and hired a consultant, Sheryl Cattell (a digital marketing professional, master certified life coach, LinkedIn trainer, speaker, and author), to get us headed in the right direction. As this team helped us identify issues such as broken links and ‘404s’, as well as point out ways to improve our ranking on Google, we saw an incremental improvement in our standings.
For us, this experience demonstrated the potential of SEO to help resorts seeking to improve rental and sales or resale revenue. However, if your resort’s budget won’t budge, there are still some basic steps you can take to better position your website’s online status.
Related: Social media and timeshare …a cautionary tale
Step #1 – Educate yourself
SEO or driving organic search traffic from Google can grow your resort’s revenue by attracting prospective buyers and renters. Getting the fundamentals down takes a little study and attention. You might want to start by reviewing informative posts. For example, a powerful checklist such as the one posted on the site, SEOalive.com, could be a great kick-off to your campaign.
Step #2 – Strategize Keywords
Identifying the right keywords is critical, as well as using them properly. “Timeshare SEO Strategy: Finding the Best Keywords,” by Seychelle Media suggests a ‘2=2=2 SEO Keyword Strategy.’ Check out their post on SeychelleMedia.com.
Step #3 – Analyze Data
To analyze your resort site’s performance, you’re best advised to engage a company such as Ahrefs or Semrush. At Resort Trades, we are using Semrush. It’s not cheap (plans start at $99.94 a month and can reach as high as $449.95). But if you weigh the cost of the service against increases in revenue, you’ll probably be convinced.
Of course, all the reports in the world won’t help if you don’t use them. That’s where experts like Cattell recommend getting organized through the use of a workflow management method such as a Kanban Board.
Related: 9 Social Media Mistakes Made by Brands & Influencers
Step #5 – Content and On-page SEO
This is where your internal links, titles, ALT tags, and all the other details found in your posts can make a difference. It’s also where analytics can help you clean up areas that can be destructive, such as 404 errors, broken links, and a myriad of other threats.
Posts, social media, and video play into how search engines rate your site. Here is where you can get your owners, members, and stakeholders to contribute. We can all learn from the American Resort Development Association (ARDA)’s “LoveMyTimeshare” campaign. In fact, supporting this effort might help the industry rid itself of unethical exit companies. If you’ve not done so already, go to ARDA.org and download the ARDA Partner Activation Kit. Remember to use the hashtags #LoveMyTimeshare and #ARDA360 in your social media posts.
Bonus Step: Connect on Linkedin
Cattell’s video, LinkedIn tutorial, was the biggest draw that the Resort Trades Learning Channel has had since we began our webinar series in 2020. And with good reason: this is our best link to other professionals in the business who seek to make a difference. Please feel free to connect with one another (and with us) and let us know if this article has been helpful.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scattell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonscottwilson/
While our 5 SEO steps may suggest a beginning for your resort’s efforts to improve your rankings, it obviously only scratches the surface. Resort Trades will continue to provide information on improving your resort’s digital marketing. So, let’s stay connected!
Resort Trades magazine, the only independent timeshare professionals’ business informational resource provides a print edition (mailed monthly to approximately 1,600 timeshare resorts, plus 6,000+ subscribers). The digital replica resides permanently on ResortTrades.com, which also posts news and informative articles regularly. Resort Trades Weekly, an ePublication, contains highlights of news, informational articles, and other items not appearing in the monthly magazine.
Resort + Hospitality ONLINE – the premier directory for the resort industry since the ‘90s is now enhancing its outreach to assist hoteliers in addition to timeshare resort operators to locate suppliers and vendors.
