Improving your search engine optimisation (SEO) for outdoor professionals

What is natural referencing?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a set of techniques designed to improve a website's visibility in the results of search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo, without the use of paid advertising. For outdoor professionals, SEO involves optimising their online presence so that they appear in a good position when someone searches for information on outdoor activities, equipment, destinations or services related to this field. This can include optimising site content, creating quality links, using relevant keywords, and improving the user experience to attract more visitors interested in their offers.

Manawa's tips for outdoor professionals to boost your SEO

In this article, we offer you some practical, free advice to help you improve your natural referencing on Google so that you can further develop the visibility of your outdoor and adventure activities.

Please note that the following advice is free, but it takes time to put it in place and to see the first results. A search engine optimisation strategy should always be carefully thought through and implemented over time.

Number 1: Create a FAQ on your website

Here's a simple but often overlooked tip for boosting your natural referencing: create a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on your site dedicated to outdoor and adventure activities. Although easy to set up, this tip is strangely absent from many sites for professionals like you. The idea is to list and answer all the questions your customers might have before, during and after their activities.

Imagine that every time a customer asks you a question, others are probably asking the same one. By anticipating them, you increase your chances of being found on search engines like Google.

To illustrate, here are a few examples of questions for a canyoning company. However, the ideal solution is to list and answer all your customers' questions, because an exhaustive FAQ strengthens your online presence:

• What is canyoning?
• Are there any risks involved in canyoning?
• Can children go canyoning?
• Do you supply footwear for canyoning?
• How do I get to XXX Canyon?
• Are there changing rooms?
• Are there any toilets available?
• What equipment do I need?
• What suit sizes are available?
• How do I access "SPOT"?

As an added bonus, providing a well-developed FAQ on your site reduces the number of questions your customers have, making it easier for them to decide whether or not to buy your outdoor and adventure activities. They'll have all the information they need to make the right decision. Think about it!

Number 2: Create dedicated pages for each of your activities

It's important to understand that most customers searching on Google and other search engines are not just looking for your business name, but directly for the activities you offer. So it's crucial that your website is well positioned on keywords related to your activities and destinations. A simple approach is to create dedicated pages for each of your activities, always ensuring that your main keywords appear in the title of the page and in its content.

We recommend that you read our article"Building an outdoor activity to sell on the internet". By following these tips, you'll be able to create complete and accurate pages that will improve your online ranking and encourage customers to book your activities.

To complete the first tip, you can even add a FAQ specific to each activity on your dedicated pages.

Warning: if you use booking software such as Yoplanning, Bokun, FareHarbor, Rezdy or Resamare, please note that the content you enter in your booking software does not contribute to SEO. This information is not always hosted directly on your site. It is therefore advisable to have the content on your website and then duplicate it in your booking software.

Number 3: Request redirect links from your partners

A relatively simple method for increasing the visibility of your outdoor and adventure activities on Google is to obtain links from other websites pointing to yours. This is because Google values inbound links from other sites, as this demonstrates the interest in your content. It is crucial, however, that these links are relevant, as any link considered to be non-legitimate or abusive by Google could have a negative impact on your site's ranking in the search results.

I strongly recommend that you contact your various partners. These could be local players, such as restaurants, hotels, tourist offices or other local activities. You can also contact your specialist partners, such as your equipment suppliers, federations or insurers.

And don't forget your online reseller partners, like Manawa, for example. At Manawa, we offer this free of charge to all our partners who add a link to Manawa on their site in return.

Issue 4: Setting up a blog section

Integrating a blog into your website can considerably improve the natural referencing of your site, but it can also require a lot of time and investment. Before you get started, it's important to define your objectives and the subjects you want to cover.

Here are a few ideas for items that might interest your customers looking for outdoor and adventure activities:

Articles on key destinations:

• What to do in Antibes Best things to do on the Côte d'Azur ? What to do in Provence ?

Articles on your activities:

• What is canyoning? How do I start canyoning? What equipment is needed for canyoning? Can children go canyoning?

Articles combining the two :

• Where can you go rafting in Croatia? The best rafting spots in the world! Where to go rafting near Dubrovnik?

We advise you to concentrate on subjects that you are familiar with. For example, create your own top 10 things to do in your area. Highlight your own activities, but don't forget to also mention other sports, local attractions, restaurants, festivals, etc.

To do more, consider extending the season of your seasonal employees who have writing skills, or consider hiring an intern to help you create content before and after the season. This can be an excellent strategy for launching and maintaining such a project.

Number 5: Update your Google My Business

Optimising Google My Business is essential for outdoor and adventure professionals to increase their local visibility and attract new customers. Here are a few tips for optimising your Google My Business profile:

1. Create a complete profile: Fill in all the fields available in your Google My Business profile. Make sure you include accurate information about your business, such as your address, opening hours, telephone number, website and quality photos of your activities.
2. Choose the right category: Carefully select the category that best suits your business. For outdoor and adventure professionals, choose relevant categories such as "Outdoor equipment hire", "Tourist guide" or "Adventure park".
3. Use relevant keywords: Include relevant keywords related to your activities in your business description and in the publications you share on Google My Business. This will help users to find your business when they carry out local searches.
4. Add attractive photos: Upload high-quality photos that showcase your outdoor activities and facilities. Include photos of landscapes, equipment, activities in progress and your team to give potential customers an idea of what they can expect when they choose your business.
5. Encourage customer reviews: Ask your satisfied customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business profile. Positive reviews reinforce the credibility of your business and can encourage other potential customers to choose you.
6. Monitor and respond to reviews: Regularly monitor the reviews left on your Google My Business profile and respond to them professionally, whether the reviews are positive or negative. This shows customers that you value their feedback and are committed to providing an excellent service.

By following these tips, you can optimise your Google My Business profile to attract more local customers and promote your outdoor activities and adventures effectively.

A few more tips

Use the right keywords

Choose relevant keywords related to your outdoor activities to optimise the content of your site.

Make your links easy to understand

Use clear, descriptive URLs that indicate what visitors will find on the page.

Check for broken links

Make sure that all the links on your site work properly to provide a good user experience.

If you are already a partner, please write directly to your regional manager. If you are not yet a partner and would like to find out more about Manawa, you can also request a contact: Become a partner.