Attract and book more travelers with SEM
September 4, 2025
Travelers search online every day for their next getaway, dining experience or adventure. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) ensures your property or service shows up at the right time and in the right place. When you leverage paid ads with targeted keywords and continuously optimize, you’ll attract more travelers, grow conversions and maximize every advertising dollar.
Understanding SEM
SEM is a form of internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites to increase visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) like Google or Bing through paid advertising. It includes paid search ads, keyword targeting and optimizing landing pages for increased conversions. The primary goal of SEM is to drive relevant traffic to websites and ultimately convert visitors into customers.
An SEM strategy involves bidding on keywords that people use in their searches for specific information. These ads, often called pay-per-click, come in a variety of formats. These formats range from text-based promotions to visually engaging listings, such as travel or experience ads. The latter highlights key details like prices, guest reviews and amenities, giving travelers easy access to the information they need to book with confidence.
Keyword research
Strategic and thorough keyword research plays a strong role in the success of your SEM campaign.
Keyword research helps you answer questions like:
What are people searching for?
How many people are searching for it?
How do they want the information?
You already know specific keywords, such as your location and amenities. These keywords are a solid foundation for your research as you begin using a keyword research tool like Google Ads Keyword Planner. This shows you the average monthly search volume for those keywords and identifies related keywords.
Beyond these keywords, you’ll want to think about the intent behind customer searches:
Intent-based keywords like “Romantic getaway [location]”, “Family-friendly hotels with pools [location], “Best Chinese restaurants [location]” or “Hiking trails [region]”
Long-tail keywords, specific phrases with a high level of intent, like “boutique hotels with rooftop bars downtown [city]”, “cheap flights from [departure city] to [destination] for Labor Day weekend” or “conference-friendly hotels [city]”
Seasonal keywords like “ice skating near [city] in December”, “summer vacation rentals [town]” or “Fall festivals [location]”
Additionally, consider the “I want to go,” “I want to do” and “I want to buy” moments. Someone searching “things to do near me” is different from someone searching “book a hotel [city].”
By identifying the right keywords your customers are searching for, you can tailor your ads and content to attract qualified leads.
Write compelling ads
Ads that capture the attention of your potential customers focus on eye-catching headlines and clear calls-to-action. When writing copy for your ads, remember that your customer is buying an experience or a memory. Think about what your customer wants to hear. What problems do they need to solve? What do they want to know?
Follow these key points:
Make sure your copy is straightforward and easy to understand.
Prioritize the benefits of your business and your unique selling proposition (USP).
What makes your business different? Is it the stunning views, the Michelin-starred chef or the pet-friendly policy?
Include social proof like awards, positive reviews or testimonials in your ad (when space allows) or on your landing page.
Write about current promotions, events and seasonal offerings. Change your ads year-round to be relevant and timely.
Your call-to-action (CTA) should be clear and direct, such as “Book Now,” “Get email alerts” or “Get Directions.”
You’ll stand out from your competitors when you have the right ad copy and get your message in front of your audience when and where they are searching for you.
Pro tip: For Google Hotel Ads, display your rates and availability directly on Google Search and Maps.
Optimize landing pages
A landing page is where your customer “lands” after they click on your ad. You give the best search experience when you feature attractive visuals, clear messages and strong calls-to-action. Your landing page should also help your customers achieve their end goal as quickly as possible.
Here are some proven strategies for your landing page:
Choose a brand and mobile-friendly design: The layout and design of your landing page help visitors quickly understand your business. The majority of travel searches happen on mobile, so ensure your landing pages are fully responsive and load quickly on mobile devices.
Make it simple and high quality: Your landing page should be uncomplicated, making it easy to follow with calls to action that visually stand out on the page. Don’t forget to showcase the experience! Use stunning, professional photos and videos of your property, amenities, services and surrounding areas.
Use clear headlines and copy: Strong headlines capture travelers’ attention and inspire them to take action, whether that’s booking a room, reserving a tour or planning a getaway. Supporting copy should be short and highlight the benefits of your property or experience so guests see why they should choose you.
Answer questions and include contact information: To help your customer get more information or answer questions, include a phone number, email or chat option. Include a FAQ section with common questions like cancellation policies, parking, accessibility, etc.
Clear CTAs: Make it easy for customers to book a room, make a reservation or request more information. Use strong action verbs and visually prominent buttons. Examples: “Book Now,” “Check Availability,” “Reserve Your Table” and “Learn More.”
Retarget to reconnect
Retargeting allows you to reconnect with potential customers who have already shown interest in your business through your SEM campaign. These strategies display personalized ads to individuals who have previously visited your landing page or engaged with your content, keeping you top-of-mind so they complete an action, such as making a reservation or booking an activity.
Given the cost and competitiveness of SEM, you don’t want to waste your budget on people who only visit once and never return. Retargeting improves your chance of converting them into customers while maximizing your return on investment.
Some examples of retargeting:
Retargeting based on travel intent: Segment your audiences based on the pages they visited on your website (i.e., those who viewed specific room types, explored tour packages or abandoned their booking).
Dynamic retargeting: Show customers the specific hotels, tours or activities they viewed on your website in your ads.
Personalized message: Tailor your remarketing ads to the customer’s interests and previous interactions with your website. Offer incentives to encourage them to complete their booking.
Track and analyze performance
To make the most of your SEM, you need to track the right metrics. These numbers show how travelers engage with your ads, which ads drive traffic and where improvements can be made. These insights will help you attract more guests and optimize your advertising to get the most out of your budget.
Clicks and impressions
Clicks: the number of times someone interacts with your ad by clicking on it
Impressions: the number of times your ad is displayed on a SERP
Why they matter:
Gauge the relevance of your ad copy and keywords
From these, calculate your Click-Through Rate (CTR) = percentage of impressions that result in clicks
A high CTR suggests your ads are working and fulfilling customers’ search intentions
Conversions and revenue
Conversions: number of people who complete an action after clicking on your ads (i.e., making a reservation, subscribing to an e-newsletter, reserving a table for dinner)
Revenue: the amount of money generated from these conversions
Why they matter:
Evaluate the performance and effectiveness of your advertising
Measure customer satisfaction and value
Identify which keywords and ads lead to the most valuable bookings
Traffic and engagement
Traffic: the number of visitors you attract to your landing page after clicking on your ads
Engagement: insights into visitor behavior, such as:
Length of time on page
What they view
How frequently they “bounce” (leave your website after viewing only one page)
Why they matter:
Track bounce rate, average session duration and pages per session
Reveal the time and interest visitors invest in exploring your website
Your goal is to grow your visibility and drive traffic with meaningful connections with your customers. Implementing a strong, effective SEM strategy allows you to attract and book more travelers as you stay aligned with the evolving needs of travelers and turn visitors into repeat customers.
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