The travel industry, despite selling inherently human experiences, is becoming more and more influenced by the use of Artificial intelligence (AI). Whether it is businesses themselves using AI in their booking, marketing, and sales processes, or travellers using AI to help plan and manage their trips, the sector is definitely changing.
And, with AI-powered search poised to grow in popularity and sophistication, travel brands should start looking at how to get their businesses featured and ranking on AI search platforms.
Understanding AI search platforms
AI-driven search is more than just keyword matching. It uses natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and vast datasets to understand user intent and context. This allows users to pose complex, conversational queries. In travel, this could be “find me a family-friendly beach resort in Portugal with good vegetarian options. My budget is £60 per person, per day. I want my family of four to go for at least five days.”
AI will then sift through options, factoring in the user’s preferences, and the real-time availability showing on travel websites, and deliver personalised recommendations.
Understanding AI algorithms
But, to really make this shift work for your brand, you need to fully understand not just what AI search is but actually how it functions.
Algorithms that drive these platforms. AI search engines rely on advanced NLP to interpret context, semantics, and user intent, far beyond basic keyword matching. Because AI is designed to anticipate and meet user needs, aligning your content with these expectations is key.
Here are a few ways travel businesses can position themselves effectively in AI search:
Build human authority
We’ve already discussed how AI systems like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT don’t just use keywords. One of the other things they look for is expertise, trustworthiness and authority.
The EEAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework is designed to evaluate content quality, and its influence will continue to grow in AI-powered search.
AI algorithms prioritise content that reflects genuine expertise and credibility. This means showcasing the real human element behind your travel offerings.
Regularly publish expert-level content, such as destination guides written by seasoned travellers, or culinary reviews by recognised food critics.
Author credentials and bios should be prominently displayed, highlighting the experience and qualifications of your team and content creators.
Earning backlinks from reputable travel publications and websites further reinforces your authority. Social proof, through active engagement on social media and positive customer reviews, also signals trustworthiness to AI.
Focus on search intent
AI search engines prioritise content that directly addresses the reason behind the user’s search. This is known as search intent. Instead of simply listing hotels or travel packages, your content should explain why a destination is ideal for a particular traveller’s needs.
There are four main types of search intent: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation. For example, a traveller searching “best beaches in Thailand” likely has informational intent and would benefit from a well-structured blog post with tips and recommendations.
Someone searching “book luxury hotel in Phuket” has transactional intent, meaning they’re ready to make a purchase, so your landing page should include clear CTAs, pricing, and booking options.
By aligning your content with the reasoning behind user searches, AI will be more likely to recognise your site as a high-quality source.
Prioritise technical SEO
Technical SEO is the foundation of any successful AI search strategy. AI-driven search engines rely on seamless website performance to effectively index and rank content. To optimise your website for AI, ensure it’s fast, mobile-friendly, and structured in a way that search engines can easily crawl and understand.
Start by improving site speed, as AI search engines prioritise user experience, and slow-loading pages can harm rankings. Optimising image sizes, leveraging browser caching, and utilising a Content Delivery Network (CDN) are essential for speed. Moreover, securing your site with HTTPS is non-negotiable, building trust with both users and AI crawlers.
Also, ensure that your website is mobile-responsive, given that most travel bookings are made on mobile devices.
Implement structured data markup
Structured data helps AI search engines understand and categorise your content more effectively. With the help of your web developer, you should use schema markup to define key information, increasing your chances of appearing in AI-generated search results.
Some useful schema types include:
- FAQ schema: If your website answers common travel-related questions (e.g., "What’s the best time to visit Greece?"), marking up these sections can increase visibility.
- How-to schema: Guides on booking travel, applying for visas, or packing for a trip can be structured for AI to present as direct answers.
- Review schema: Structured customer reviews make it easier for AI search engines to pull traveller feedback into recommendations.
By ensuring AI can easily interpret and extract useful insights from your content, your business stands a better chance of being highlighted in AI-generated search results.
Create content for featured snippets
Featured snippets are not a new thing for SEO, but they are becoming more important with AI-driven search. They aim to capture attention at the top of search engine results.
These snippets deliver direct answers to user queries and are often used by AI systems to present information in a concise format. So, to increase your chances of being featured, create content that directly answers common travel-related questions in a clear and structured manner.
You can organise content using lists and tables, as AI tools can easily extract structured data from these formats. Additionally, use clear, descriptive headings and subheadings to help both search engines and AI understand your content’s structure.
You can also text fragments. This is a tool that enables travel businesses to highlight specific parts of their content. This feature allows you to direct AI search engines to a particular section of your webpage, improving the chances that a specific portion of your content will be selected for a featured snippet. With the help of your web developer, you will need to adjust your URL with #:~:text= followed by the target text you want to highlight.
Regularly update content
AI-driven search algorithms are constantly evolving. For travel businesses to stay competitive, it’s essential to regularly update existing content and adapt it to new search algorithms. By keeping content fresh, businesses can maintain their relevance in search results and continue to meet the ever-changing needs of travellers.
Start by auditing your content on a regular basis to identify outdated information, broken links, or shifts in user behaviour. Update facts, statistics, and recommendations to ensure they reflect the most current trends and travel conditions.
You can also refresh content by adding new insights or expanding sections based on emerging travel preferences or seasonal demand. By incorporating the latest keywords and optimising for new search patterns, your content will continue to rank high in AI search results.
Conclusion
For travel businesses, adapting to the changes that AI is bringing requires a bit more than typical SEO. Brands should have a deeper understanding of AI-driven search algorithms, search intent, and evolving user expectations in order to rank.
By focusing on technical SEO, establishing authority through EEAT principles, optimising for featured snippets, and consistently updating content, travel brands can start to find themselves in the answer section of AI queries.
But, as AI search platforms continue to evolve, the key to staying ahead is agility. Businesses that prioritise user-first content, use structured data, and outline in-depth content strategies will be better equipped to maintain visibility in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
Do you need help creating a website and content that is SEO and AI-optimised? Boost Brands can help with the technical and content aspects of AI-driven search ranking. Contact us today.
