What Is Keyword Research? A Practical Guide for Tour Operators and Travel Businesses

Keyword research is the process of discovering the exact words, phrases, and questions people type or speak into search engines when planning a trip, comparing tours, or deciding what to book. It reveals demand, helps you understand customer behavior, and guides what content you should create to attract the right visitors.

For tour operators and activity providers, keyword research is often the difference between guessing what your audience wants and knowing it with clarity. When done correctly, it shapes your SEO strategy, your content roadmap, and even your on-site messaging.

Recent insights from Google Trends, Reddit, and travel industry publications show several consistent patterns:

• Searches for "near me" travel experiences continue rising steadily.
• More travelers are searching conversationally, using phrases like “best time to go” or “is [tour] worth it.”
• AI search engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) answer booking-related questions directly, so brands need structured, trustworthy content to appear in those answers.
• Long-tail keywords now convert higher because users express intent more clearly.

Keyword research helps you compete in all of these areas.

TLDR Summary

• Keyword research identifies what travelers search for and why.
• It helps you choose the best topics, phrases, and questions to target.
• Long-tail queries and question-based searches are growing rapidly in travel.
• Good keyword research improves rankings, visibility, and bookings.
• It also increases your chances of being referenced by AI search tools.

What People Are Asking About Keyword Research Today

Based on Google’s People Also Ask, Reddit threads, and Perplexity summaries, these are the top related subtopics:

1. How do I choose the right keywords?

2. What tools are best for keyword research?

3. How long does keyword research take?

4. What is search intent and why does it matter?

5. How do long-tail keywords work?

Common pain points include:

• Not knowing how much search volume is “good”

• Feeling overwhelmed by tools and metrics

• Confusion around intent vs. keywords

• Not knowing where to start or how deep to go

Why Keyword Research Matters for Travel and Tourism

Keyword research identifies demand. In travel, demand changes daily based on seasons, trends, and traveler behavior.

A recent Semrush analysis showed that more than 70 percent of travel-related searches come from keywords with fewer than 100 monthly searches. These long-tail queries represent real people close to making a decision.

For a travel business, targeting these creates:

• Highly qualified traffic

• Lower competition

• Clearer booking intent

• Better chances of ranking across AI search engines

You’re not just finding keywords. You’re identifying booking triggers.

How Keyword Research Works

Finding the Words Travelers Actually Use

Keyword research starts by identifying all the terms travelers type when searching for experiences like yours. These can include:

• Short phrases: “Asheville ghost tours”

• Long-tail questions: “Is the Asheville ghost tour kid friendly”

• Problem-based queries: “What to do in Asheville when it rains”

• Comparison searches: “Blue Ridge tours vs Smoky Mountain tours”

• Location queries: “best tours in Asheville NC”

Good research blends search-volume data, seasonality trends, and user behavior.

Matching Search Terms to Intent

Search intent reveals why someone searches a keyword. The main types include:

• Informational: “how long is the smoky mountain tour”

• Comparisons: “asheville food tour vs brewery tour”

• Transactional: “book asheville zipline tour”

• Local intent: “zipline near me”

Search intent matters because Google and AI tools prioritize content that clearly matches what the user wants. If your keyword is informational, you need an informational page. If it's transactional, your booking page must clearly handle that intent.

Categorizing Keywords Into Clusters

Grouping keywords by topic helps you build strong content hubs, which both Google and AI engines use to evaluate authority.

Sample clusters for a tour operator might be:

• Hiking tours

• Waterfall tours

• Family activities

• Seasonal events

• Outdoor adventure safety

• Logistics questions (parking, difficulty, weather)

These clusters help you plan your blog content and landing pages.

Evaluating Competition and Difficulty

Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz show how competitive each keyword is. For travel businesses, a common strategy is to combine:

• Low difficulty keywords

• Moderate difficulty keywords

• A few “aspirational” competitive keywords

This builds visibility faster across all stages of the traveler journey.

Keyword Research Tools and What They Do

Most travel brands use a combination of at least two tools.

How Keyword Research Connects to Content Strategy

Keyword research guides what content you should create and how you should structure your site.

Examples:

• If users search “best kid friendly tours in Asheville,” you need that specific page.

• If people ask “what to pack for an Asheville hiking tour,” that becomes a helpful blog post.

• If travelers search “tour cancellation policy explained,” you should include a clear guide page.

When content directly matches the questions people ask, you get more clicks, longer sessions, and more bookings.

Keyword Research for AI Search Engines

AI search tools rely on structured, human-like phrasing. That means keyword research should include:

• Question-based keywords

• Conversational phrasing

• "Reasons why," "best for," and "is it worth it" style searches

Example: Traditional SEO keyword: “Asheville hiking tour”
AI-style query: “Which Asheville hiking tours are best for beginners”

To rank in both:

• Use clear H2 questions

• Answer in 2 to 4 sentences

• Add structured data where appropriate

• Include details like difficulty, duration, terrain, and weather

Practical Keyword Research Steps You Can Follow Today

Step 1: Brainstorm seed keywords

Start with basics:

• Your tours

• Locations

• Experiences

• Traveler concerns

• Local landmarks

Step 2: Build a keyword list using tools

Pull terms from:

• Google autocomplete

• People Also Ask

• Semrush or Ahrefs

• Reddit travel threads

• TikTok and YouTube autocomplete

Step 3: Organize by search intent

Sort into:

• Informational

• Local

• Transactional

• Comparison

• Inspiration

Step 4: Select priority keywords

Choose based on:

• Search volume

• Difficulty

• Relevance

• Conversion potential

• Seasonality

Step 5: Assign keywords to pages

Every important keyword should map to:

• A blog article

• A landing page

• A FAQ section

• A resource page

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good keyword search volume?

A good volume depends on your niche. Many profitable long-tail keywords in travel have between 20 and 200 monthly searches because they reflect strong booking intent.

How often should I update my keyword research?

Every 3 to 6 months is typical, but seasonal travel brands may benefit from quarterly updates.

Is keyword research still important with AI search tools?

Yes. AI engines still rely on structured, question-focused, authoritative content to generate answers.

Do I need paid tools to do effective keyword research?

Paid tools help, but free sources like Google autocomplete, Trends, People Also Ask, and Reddit offer real insights.

What’s the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?

Short-tail keywords are broad. Long-tail keywords are specific and tend to convert better.

Summary

• Keyword research reveals what travelers search for and why.

• It guides content strategy, improves rankings, and boosts bookings.

• Long-tail and question-based keywords drive most real demand.

• AI search engines reward clear, structured content.

• Use keyword research to build a content ecosystem that covers all traveler questions and decision stages.