SEM in the travel space is not easy. We know, as here at LeadQual we have a number of travel related clients serving different parts of the world. To help all those who struggle and work hard in this space, I wanted to share some data from a ComScore study of 50,000 UK web users. This study focused on user behavior and trends for the online travel industry. Some note worthy facts.

“I like to take my time to buy”

• 15.9% of purchasers buy holiday travel items from the first site they visit
• But only 1.6% will buy in their first session
• This means 14.3% will return at a later time!
• Most users will visit your site at least twice before transacting
• On average it takes 29 days for a transaction to occur for a holiday user
• 30% of transaction occur more than 6 weeks after initial search!

Note: Check delayed conversion especially on Google accounts. Re-pull old reports and update your conversion information. Note that Google’s cookie is only 30 days, so check your backend data to determine if the value of the clicks you are paying for are worth more than it has.

“If I remember your name, I’ll be back”

• 35% of Transactions occur without a keyword search
• Almost 50% of travel searches are brand keyterms (names of companies)

Note: Branding is huge! Good URL is crucial. Bidding on Brand even more crucial!A user may come in and see your PPC ad, but end up not making a decision right away. When they are ready, if your URL is memorable and easy, they’ll just type that in the browser and purchase.
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