Still struggling to get your lodge to the top of TripAdvisor’s listings?
As we covered in a previous post 3 Tips to Get Your Safari Lodge to Rank Higher on Tripadvisor, the exact method TripAdvisor uses to rank properties is undisclosed but a careful study of area rankings reveals the main influencers are a combination of:
The first influencer is the number of reviews you receive. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of lodge guests ever leave a review on TripAdvisor. Those are the guests who managed to remember to write a review or had such a fantastic (or terrible) safari that they were compelled to share their experience.
We know you offer a great safari experience so if you can get more of your guests to write a review you will see your lodge jumping up the TripAdvisor listings.
In most cases, all it will take is a simple reminder. Here’s a few ways you can get your guests to share their safari experience on TripAdvisor:
Every lodge should use email automation as part of their post-stay guest process. Once a guest leaves an email can be sent to thank the guests for their stay and ask for feedback to ensure guest satisfaction.
Add a link to your TripAdvisor listing to these follow up emails. This will increase the overall number of reviews you receive and demonstrate your commitment to excellence.
Each lodge has a core group of fans who are active on social media. Have your social media marketing team build a relationship with these brand advocates, those who have posted or commented on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, and encourage them to write a review.
Research shows that properties that reach out to loyal guests to increase the number of reviews will see not only higher rankings, but increased online sentiment.
Any email you send to guests should include a link to your TripAdvisor listing. You’ll often correspond with your guests over a period of time and each email will be a useful reminder of (and link to) the lodge’s listing.
Ensure the fact that the lodge has a TripAdvisor listing is immediately clear when anyone views your website. Add a prominent badge in strategic locations, the footer and contact page are ideal.
Even if it’s just an icon, make sure it’s clickable and links directly to the lodge’s listing.
Just implementing these few simple steps can get those reviews rolling in and give your TripAdvisor ranking a real boost.