SEO & Content Strategy Drive 2020-21 Success
Throughout 2020 and 2021, the travel industry was turned upside down. Despite that, Lakedale, a luxury camping resort on San Juan Island, was able to attract new customers and fill a significant need during this time through strong content strategy, SEO, and a strong product offering that succeeded despite the lockdown.
Content Strategy, SEO, PPC
Travel/Hotels/Camping
The travel industry was hit hard by the pandemic in March 2020. Lakedale was forced to close for several months and implement new measures when they did open to keep customers safe.
By June 2020, search volume was rising as folks were looking for ways to get outside and out of the house safely. Our previous organic work put them in the right position to capitalize on this opportunity in a big way.
They wanted to not only become a solution to needs or wants….but to be a resource to their customers looking to travel to a popular, off-the-beaten-track tourist destination in the pacific northwest. They began producing content that was not aimed at selling themselves but at informing customers about the amazing activities and destinations in their area.
Lakedale had been working with Portent investing significantly in content strategy on-site and through their blog for eight years at this point. They identified that their product was unique (glamping in the San Juan Islands) and situated well between Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Portent’s research showed they should be able to attract customers by owning key regional search terms.
Our strategy focused on an ongoing technical SEO program, new evergreen content on their site, a complete website rebuild with content strategy and SEO in mind, and an SEO keyword-driven blog strategy.
This strategy culminated in the creation of landing pages centered around providing info on the area. They did this knowing that their product was strong and that being truly helpful to customer needs on their website would not only mean more happy customers but better organic ranking on Google.
The result of this consistent SEO, PPC, and content strategy-driven marketing mix was significant. They reached new heights when they least expected it. The pandemic hit in March 2020, virtually shutting down the travel and hotel industry. Lakedale was forced to cancel bookings and close temporarily. But as regulations changed and customers began looking for outdoor activities again, Lakedale was extremely easy to find.
32% Increase in Organic Traffic
They were the right solution at the right time, but their ongoing efforts to increase visibility via providing customer-centric content meant they saw a significant 32% increase in organic traffic YoY after they were allowed to open their doors again.
110% Increase in Revenue
The increased organic traffic, coupled with a boost in conversion rate and booking length, drove a 110% increase in revenue. Additionally, they saw a 59% boost in new users, which had a ripple effect for years to come. 2021 ended up being their strongest year as a business at a time when the pandemic was still in full swing and government regulations in the state of Washington still had protective measures in place.
