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Mission Control / Travel

Branding, SEO & AI: The New Rules of Travel Marketing

From search engines to AI-generated recommendations, travelers are discovering destinations in new ways. This is your guide to keeping up — and standing out.

By Tina Kelly

Welcome to the new era of travel marketing where branding, SEO and AI aren’t siloed strategies. They’re interconnected pieces of one larger digital ecosystem. Whether you’re a state DMO with global appeal or a rural, small-town destination with lots of charm, standing out today means being discoverable in the places where travelers (and algorithms) make decisions.

1. Clarity in Your Brand Drives Discovery

Your brand isn’t your logo or slogan. It’s the story you consistently tell and the experience travelers have when they visit your destination. In a world of broad taglines and copy-paste itineraries, clear differentiation of what destination is cuts through.

Skip:

  • “Something for everyone”
  • “Hidden gem” (unless you explain why)
  • Overused lists with no local flavor or personality

Say instead:

  • “A weekend for food lovers who hate crowds”
  • “Where birders, bakers and history buffs all find their people — and their place”
  • “The mountain town where fall lasts just a little longer”

It’s not just about sounding different. It’s about being clear on what you offer and who it’s for. Are you a quiet mountain town perfect for off-season retreats? A busy downtown with family-friendly museums and food trucks? A road-trip stop or a five-day destination? The more honestly and clearly you position your destination, the more likely you are to attract the right travelers — the ones who leave happy, leave good reviews and come back. A message like “Best hikes within 2 hours of the city” connects with outdoor lovers. “Come for the resorts and spas, stay for the stargazing” speaks to wellness-seekers looking to connect with nature.

Takeaway: The more specific and ownable your message is, the more likely it is to get surfaced in search summaries and AI tools.

2. SEO Isn’t Dead — It’s Just Evolved

People still search, and Google is still a very powerful. But the way content gets found and the way it gets presented has changed. AI results are offered at the top a search results pages now, above the usual links. That means your content needs to be structured, or it may show up at all.

What still matters:

  • Descriptive title tags and headers
  • Internal links and location-rich phrases
  • Clear navigation
  • Well-organized content

What matters more than ever:

  • Structured data that helps AI read your content
  • Specific pages built around real travel question (“Family weekend at the beach” not just “Things to do”)
  • Alt text and accessible design (AI reads visuals too)

Want to boost both traditional SEO and visibility in AI-generated content? Focus on formats that punch above their weight: Itineraries (“48 Hours in [Your Town]”), themed lists (“Top 5 Local Events This Summer”), and traveler-first pages (“Where to Stay Near [Landmark]”) are easy wins. They help with search, answer common questions and give AI tools something specific to cite.

Takeaway: When your content is vague or too broad, AI tools will ignore it.

3. AI Isn’t the Future — It’s Already Helping Travelers

AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini are already influencing where people go — especially during the dreaming and planning phases. They’re summarizing destinations, comparing options and even building full itineraries based on available content.

And it’s not just about trip planning. AI is helping travelers:

  • Ask location-specific questions (“Where should I go in October that’s not crowded?”)
  • Compare destinations (“Charleston vs. Savannah for a food trip”)
  • Find alternatives to overcrowded spots (“If you like Lake Tahoe, try … ”)
  • Plan logistics (“Best route for a scenic road trip through New England”)
  • Filter by interest or identity (“Pet-friendly coastal towns,” “Best LGBTQ+ travel spots”)
  • Build full itineraries for families, couples, solo travelers and niche audiences
Takeaway: The more your content anticipates traveler prompts and reflects a clear story, the more likely AI is to include you in its answers.

4. It’s Not Just About Your Website

AI builds its answers from multiple sources. That’s why third-party mentions matter more than ever. When your destination is showing up in travel blogs, roundups, online reviews and media coverage, it helps validate and amplify your brand.

Look for opportunities to:

  • Encourage user reviews and respond to them
  • Pitch story ideas to travel writers and publications
  • Get featured in itineraries or guides by partner organizations
  • Create landing pages and content that includes neighboring destinations and attractions
  • Collaborate with influencers who use descriptive captions (not just visuals)
Takeaway: Being talked about elsewhere (and talking about your neighbors) gives you credibility and visibility.

5. Connect the Dots or Someone Else Will

The path to discovery is rarely linear. Travelers are connecting the dots from multiple sources: a headline here, a social post there, an AI recommendation on the go. The more consistent and connected your messaging is across platforms, the more likely they are to choose you.

Takeaway: You don’t need to do everything. But you do need to make sure all your marketing efforts work together to tell one clear story.

Strategic Content in an AI World

We can help you connect the dots between branding, SEO and AI to create content that gets noticed by travelers.LET’S CHAT

Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with wavy shoulder-length hair. She is wearing a patterned top and a beaded necklace, posed against a dark background.
Tina Kelly Chief Marketing Officer

Tina brings more than 10 years of experience to C/A, where she partners with companies to develop digital marketing campaigns that leverage content, encouraging audiences to consume, engage, share and convert. Tina’s experience spans industries, having led digital marketing strategy development and execution for several global and national brands, including The Children’s Place, Nationwide Insurance, Delta Faucet and many more.

Tina has presented at a number of industry conferences and events, including SXSW Interactive and Content Marketing World. Outside of work, Tina and her husband can usually be found on a sports field somewhere, cheering on their two kids.

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