We recently shared how TripAdvisor made some changes to their popularity ranking algorithm earlier in 2016, and outlined what this means for your tour and activity company.
The key takeaway was that quality, recency, and quantity of reviews matter if you want to reach TripAdvisor's number one spot.
So, without further ado, here are some of the best stratagies for your tourism company to achieve these three things and boost your ranking.
If you like what you read, we've compiled the twenty tips into a handy TripAdvisor Checklist for you to print out and work through. We would love to hear how it goes!
Funky Chocolate Club is a brilliant example of a company that successfully provides A 5* experience for every guest.
Improve the quality of your reviews
1. Make it your top priority to provide an incredible experience on every tour and activity
2. Set guest expectations before they arrive by making sure all information is up-to-date and clear on your website and on TripAdvisor
3. Check that your photos on TripAdvisor accurately display the experience you offer
4. Do everything you can to be welcoming, responsive, and fulfill and exceed expectations for every customer, right from the very first point of contact
5. Use a booking solution such as TrekkSoft to allow guests to have a quick and hassle-free booking experience online or on mobile
6. Be the local authority on your company's niche to give your guests a memorable experience they couldn't get elsewhere
7. Provide photo opportunities during your tours and activities and encourage guests to post these on TripAdvisor
8. Respond to your reviews to show prospective customers that you value feedback and want to provide the best experience possible
9. Act on feedback from reviews as soon as possible, especially if it's a recurring issue, to continually improve your customer experience
10. Make sure every review is an authentic opinion of a traveller; do not ask friends or employees to write reviews for you
Keep your reviews fresh and frequent
11. Remember that recent reviews carry more weight than dated reviews
12. Keep reviews coming all-year-round and think about how to fill gaps (such as between seasons) that could lower your ranking
13. Use TrekkSoft to set-up automated post-trip emails that ask recent customers to review you on TripAdvisor
14. Get business cards printed with the TripAdvisor logo on
15. If you start or end your tour in an office with WiFi, include the credentials on a poster or print-out that encourages guests to review you on TripAdvisor
16. If you have a TripAdvisor award, display it prominently in your office as a reminder for guests to review you
Both of these companies have top-quality bubble ratings, but TrekkSoft user La Bicicleta Verde wins here on quantity.
Increase the quantity of your reviews
17. Keep your reviews fresh and frequent and you will soon have a higher amount of reviews
18. Remember that the more reviews you have, the easier it is for TripAdvisor to rank your business accurately
19. Link to your TripAdvisor page on your website, or integrate your reviews as a TrekkSoft customer, and remind past guests who visit your site to review you
20. Encourage all guests to leave a review: even if they leave a negative comment, you can respond tactfully and take it on board to provide better future experiences
How do these tips help your TripAdvisor ranking? Let us know with a tweet @TrekkSoft - we'd love to hear how you get on!
Download your copy of the TripAdvisor Checklist: 20 Steps to Improve Your Ranking and Reach #1
Written by Lucy Fuggle
Lucy is Head of Content Marketing at TrekkSoft. She tries to read a book a week, travel solo every month, and share ideas on lucyfuggle.com. You can usually find her in Switzerland's Berner Oberland.
