How tourism providers build visibility for their brand by creating smart links around the internet.
When people hear “SEO,” they usually think website redesign, tech fixes, or something expensive and mysterious.
But here’s the truth: a well-built website is only half the equation.
At NYAA-Consulting, we design tourism websites to perform well from day one. Here are few items we always consider:
- Using keywords intentionally, not mechanically
- Writing meaningful alt text (for accessibility and search engines)
- Setting up a CDN to manage images
- Using a caching plugin
- Providing quality hosting
Yes, how your website performs and loads content is part of an overall SEO score.
What about AEO?
Long before “AEO” (Answer Engine Optimization) became a buzzword, we were already structuring pages to clearly answer the what, where, when, who, and why questions travelers actually ask.. Search engines—and now AI tools—reward clarity.
Once your site is solid, one of the most powerful things you can do for SEO doesn’t happen on your website at all. It happens everywhere else.
Why links from other websites to yours matter so much
Search engines treat links like trust signals.
When other reputable sites link to you, they are essentially saying:
“This business is real, relevant, and worth paying attention to.”
For tourism providers—especially small lodges, guides, and community projects—this matters even more than constant website tinkering.
Good links can:
- Improve your ranking without changing a single line of code
- Help travelers find you earlier in their decision process
- Reinforce credibility with both humans and algorithms
- Feed AI tools accurate, consistent information about your business
And no—you don’t need hundreds of links. You need the right ones.
1. Start with the platforms you already exist on
Most tourism providers are already listed in places that should be helping their SEO—but often aren’t fully optimized.
Check:
- Google Business Profile
- TripAdvisor
- Booking platforms you actively use, like WeTravel
- Social Media Platforms like Insta, Facebook, and LinkedIn
- Local or regional tourism boards
- NGO or association directories
Make sure:
- Your business name, location, and description match your website
- Your website link is correct and working
- Your description uses clear language, not marketing fluff
Consistency matters. Search engines don’t like confusion.
2. Write guest content where your audience already goes
You don’t need to become a blogger—but strategic content placements go a long way.
Examples:
- A short article for a regional tourism organization
- A conservation or community partner’s website
- A university, nonprofit, or research group you collaborate with
- A destination-focused blog that aligns with your values
What matters:
- The site is relevant to your work
- The link points back to a meaningful page on your site (not just your homepage)
- The content adds value, not promotion
One thoughtful article on the right site beats ten low-quality mentions elsewhere.
3. Strengthen links through partnerships you already have
This is the most overlooked opportunity we see.
Ask:
- Do your partners link to you?
- Do you link back to them?
- Are those links buried—or actually visible?
Lodges, guides, transport providers, nonprofits, and tour operators all benefit when links reflect real collaboration.
A short “Our Partners” page with context is far more powerful than a logo dump.
4. Use media, interviews, and mentions to your advantage
If you’ve been:
- Interviewed for a podcast
- Quoted in an article
- Featured in a press piece
- Included in a report or study
Follow up and ask (politely) for a link if they have not already provided one.
Many publishers are happy to add one—it just doesn’t occur to them unless you ask.
5. Think like an answer engine, not just a search engine
This is where SEO and AEO now overlap.
AI tools pull information from multiple sources, not just your website.
If your business is described clearly and consistently across the web, you are far more likely to surface in AI-generated answers.
That means:
- Repeating your core story in multiple trusted places
- Using plain language over clever branding
- Making it easy for machines and people to understand what you do
If your website says one thing and the rest of the internet says something else, the internet usually wins.
A grounded reminder
SEO is not a trick.
It’s about showing up clearly, consistently, and in the right places.
If your website is already doing its job, link-building around the internet is one of the smartest, least invasive ways to keep growing your reach—especially in tourism, where trust and context matter more than volume.
