There are many things that I have learnt over the years since I started this blog, and even more Travel Blogging Tips that I wished I had known earlier. At times, I have pulled my hair out, thrown pens at my computer screen, and actually threatened my laptop that I was going to trade it in! Of course, my poor little Acer Swift wasn’t to blame. In fact, he has been a little trooper that, against all odds, has stuck by me for 5 years now.
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No. Very rarely is it the computer’s fault. Instead, most of the mistakes that we, as Travel Bloggers make, are simply because we came into this profession totally underdone.
What do I mean by that?
It’s simple really. No matter how much you study, how many courses you take, or how many articles you read about Blogging and Travel Blogging Tips, you simply will NOT be ready. Travel Blogging is totally different to any other sort of blogging, and any new Travel Blogger finds this out very quickly!
I know that I certainly did. I STILL read lists of travel blogging tips such as this one nearly every day. My Pinterest is humming several times a day, struggling to throw pins at me that I haven’t already pored over several times before. Because Travel Blogging is HARD. Finding any new travel blogging tips to make it easier is like striking GOLD!
This is the reason that I decided to sit down and curate my own little list of Travel Blogging Tips. This list is things that I wish I had known earlier, and every one of them are things that I still try and do every single day. Or at least, every time I write an article, which can be a couple of times a day! On a good week.
This list should also be read in conjunction with my article that I wrote a few months back about how to be a consistent Travel Blogger. There are many tips in there that will assist you if you are not traveling regularly, and are looking for inspiration. For now, though, let’s get into my list of 10 Travel Blogging Tips that will guarantee you extra traffic.
Table of Contents
- #1 – Choose Amazing Photos
- #2 – Look for Angles – Everywhere!
- #3 – Become a Writer
- #4 – Stay Consistent
- #5 – Focus on Engagement
- #6 – Allow Time to Blog
- #7 – Optimize Your Images
- #8 – Get Self Hosting ASAP
- #9 – Speed is Key
- #10 – SEO is NOT a Dirty Word
- BONUS TIP! – Use the right affiliates
- Summary
#1 – Choose Amazing Photos
Photos are the first thing that anyone sees when they visit a blog article. Well, almost the first thing. Right after the headline.
If your article or post has eye catching photos, then readers are more likely to stay invested in the content. You can write the very best content in the world, but if the photos aren’t great, then a reader will flick away. It’s almost guaranteed!
The reason for this is simple. As humans, we see beauty. What our eyes see and process has a lot to do with our reactions. So put beautiful photos in your post, and entice the reader to hang around longer to read the content.
The other thing you might notice about this point, is that I said “choose amazing photo’s” instead of “take amazing photo’s”. This was not a mistake.
As bloggers, especially as travel bloggers, we need to have good photos. A reader will want to see the beauty of a location. Not just to read about it. This sets us apart from many other blogging niches that can get by with JUST great content. Not with Travel Blogging. This is why I put this point as number one in my Travel Blogging Tips.
It is also a reality that you sometimes just don’t quite get the photos that you need. Not everyone is an award winning photographer, and even they mess up the angles sometimes. There are also times that I travel somewhere, or do a day trip, and don’t plan on writing an article. A week later, I decide to write about it, and realize that I didn’t take enough photos.
In these cases, don’t be afraid to look for great quality stock photos. It isn’t cheating. Especially not if it is an accurate reflection of what you are writing about. Source some good photos, mix them with your own, and write that article. Because the very worst thing is NOT to write the article, and have your readers miss out on that wonderful experience, just because you forgot your camera.
#2 – Look for Angles – Everywhere!
Look for angles. This is not just one of my top travel blogging tips, but probably the top photography tip that you will read everywhere!
But I’m not talking about photography. I’m talking about blogging, and writing about travel.
It isn’t easy to find a new angle on a place that has been written about a thousand times. And trust me, you won’t be able to do it every time. You still have to look, though. Even when it’s your run of the mill guide to the most popular places to eat in a certain city, you still have to try and find a different angle.
This can be as simple as including a hidden gem that only YOU found. It can be alternative things to do. The places that locals eat, away from the tourist strip. It can be that backwoods hike that you discovered, they gave you a view of the city you had never seen before.
Think outside the box.
The one thing that you have to understand as a travel writer, is that you already HAVE a different angle to what anyone else has written before. It’s that YOU are there. This is about YOUR experience.
So when you write that “boring” and “rehashed” guide or itinerary, personalize it. Talk about YOUR experience. Because that’s an angle that no one has ever written about before, or ever will again.
#3 – Become a Writer
Become a writer. It sounds strange, doesn’t it?
That’s because it is. Sort of. Until I explain.
What are the very best travel articles that you have read? Think about it. What articles have you read that really inspired you to travel? To visit a place.
Now, what was it about that article that caused your reaction? What was it that inspired you? Why do you remember that particular article?
I bet it wasn’t just a boring guide. I can almost say, confidently, that it wasn’t a run of the mill “24 things to do in xxx” article, was it?
Now, before you start looking through all of my guides and itineraries that I post on this site, let me back pedal and say that as Travel Bloggers, we sort of HAVE to write those articles. That’s the best way to break down a location to a potential visitor, after all.
So when I say “become a writer” that’s not what I mean. Not by a long shot.
No. What you absolutely need to do to become a successful travel blogger, is to write about your own experiences. Show the reader what it was like, and tell a story. Make the reader see the location through your own eyes, even if it is only for a few sentences, or a couple of paragraphs.
There is a reason that writers like Bill Bryson are so successful. It’s because they really bring a location to a reader. They put the reader right in the middle of the place, and make them smell it, hear it, and taste it. THAT is what a real writer can do.
So next time you write a guide about Timbuktu, or “37 Amazing Things to do in Kano, Nigeria”, don’t forget to write about your own experiences as well. Don’t just tell them why Timbuktu was such a great place.
SHOW them!
#4 – Stay Consistent
Consistency is key. It’s not always easy, but Google loves it, and so do your readers.
The thing with Travel Blogging, is that you really have to have travel content in order to blog. If you don’t, then what are you going to write about? The catch 22 here is that you have to travel in order to get content.
That’s one thing that sets a Travel Blogger apart from other bloggers. The need to travel. Most other blogging niches can glean content without even leaving the comfort of home.
So #4 in my travel blogging tips, is to stay consistent. But how do you do that?
Make notes when you travel. This not only saves you from forgetting important details, but also reminds you of the articles you were planning to write. Personally, I use the Google Keep app on my phone. It’s easy to open and jot down a working headline whenever I get an idea for an article. Weeks later, I can open that app and be reminded of an article that I had totally forgotten about.
The other way to stay consistent is to constantly look for ideas. Search online. Use Google Trends. Browse other blogs. Find out what people are searching for online, and what is trending right now.
Also, look back over your old content. Can you repurpose it? Maybe even do a full rewrite? Is it out of date?
If you run a Travel Blog, you will find it becomes a full time job. There is always something to do, and keeping your blog fresh is enough to stay consistent in the eyes of Google, and also your readers.
#5 – Focus on Engagement
This is one of my Travel Blogging Tips that you don’t even have to worry about until AFTER you publish. Which sort of makes it even easier, and yet is something that so many bloggers don’t seem to worry about. Especially the big ones.
Which makes me sad, in a way. Because engaging with followers and readers is very important. In most cases, big blogs became big due to their readers, and the fact that, in the early days, they most likely DID engage with them.
Then, they seem to forget.
Have a look at many big travel blogs, and you will see what I mean. Even on social media, where they get hundreds of comments for every post. Do you see any replies? Probably not.
Don’t be that person. Engage with your audience. Reply to comments. Show your readers that you care. Be THAT person.
You will notice at the end of most of my posts, that I ask my readers to comment. I then promise to reply. I don’t just say that. I always reply.
Make sure you do too.
#6 – Allow Time to Blog
This is one of my Travel Blogging Tips that is not always easy, but is absolutely vital.
Whilst traveling, it can be hard to blog. There is not always time to stop and take a day off, just to tap away on your laptop. Even finding a decent, reliable Wi-Fi connection can be hard!
This aside, you still have to make time to write.
When I first started out, I would read about other travel bloggers, and how they managed their time. Traveling through remote areas of Indonesia is tough when there are not that many reliable internet cafes. So when you find one, you better take advantage of it! Finding homestays with a good WI-FI connection can throw up a similar problem.
This may not be an issue if you are backpacking through France, or hopping around cities like Barcelona, of course.
WI-FI aside, it is still the issue of finding time. My solution is to travel slow. Instead of spending 3 or 4 nights in a place, on the go all the time, I spend a week to 10 days. Then, every few days I stop and blog. This keeps my blog turning over, as well as actually giving me a bit of a break. The last thing you want is travel burnout.
When I can, I will spend even longer in a place. Last year I spent an entire month in Yogyakarta. Needless to say, I saw a hell of a lot, and blogged about it all!
Of course, if you have a full time job, then this is not so easy. Still, you need to make time, because if anything, YOUR life is even busier.
Give yourself time to blog. It’s a LOT easier than trying to write about something 6 months later!
#7 – Optimize Your Images
This is one of those travel blogging tips that it took me a while to embrace. But wow, blogging has become a lot easier and less frustrating since I started.
Once upon a time, I really struggled with image quality. I had no idea what it meant to optimize images, and other than resizing them (a bit) I still had no idea. I would load up images on WordPress, and half the time they would fail to upload into my media gallery. I pulled my hair out, installed plugins to override size restrictions, and managed to get by.
Then I began to read about image optimization. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my brain. Still though, I didn’t quite get it right.
I tried the plugin “Smush”, as well as a couple of others. They worked, but I’m a perfectionist, and I still wasn’t quite happy. You see, with those plugins, you load up the big image, and the plugin does the rest for you. Sounds easy, and is great for the lazy blogger.
If you want to really get it right, try optimizing your images BEFORE you upload them to WordPress. I resize everything manually on my laptop through the Windows Paint app, then run them through TinyPNG. Then, they upload in an instant, and my articles load FAST! Google loves them.
So optimize your images. Your blog will thank you. Trust me!
#8 – Get Self Hosting ASAP
Now, we are getting down the travel blogging tips that are more about blogging in general. But still, it is very, very relevant, and vital to the success of your blog.
If you want to be seen as a serious Travel Blogger, then you need self hosting. Blogging on a free platform is fine, for a while, but anyone who finds your blog is hit with one thought.
Amateur.
You will always be perceived as an amateur if you are blogging on a free platform. Leave those platforms for Grandma and Grandad, who want an easy way to record their road trip across the country for the Grandkids to read about. It is NOT a platform for someone who wants to be taken seriously.
If you like, you can start out here. But do it properly. Use WordPress, because then it is easy to migrate onto a self hosted platform when you sign up with a Hosting Company.
A self hosted blog is not expensive, especially when you are starting out. There are so many really great specials for new accounts, especially with a company like Bluehost. I started with them, and years later am still hosted by them.
A self hosted blog is personalized. You have your own domain, and you OWN it. It is your own little corner of the internet, and people will come to know you as a professional blogger. You will be taken seriously, and because you pay for your hosting, the sky is the limit. There is no ceiling to how big you can get.
After all, isn’t that what you want?
#9 – Speed is Key
Website Speed. The bane of every single blogger, ever!
This is probably the most important of my travel blogging tips, and it really goes for every blogger who is serious about being taken seriously. Especially by Google.
Slow websites will never rank well.
It’s a truth that I cannot put any other way.
Google has tools that you can use to test your site. There are plenty of others on the market as well. Free tools and websites will test your site online in just a few seconds. It is worth the time to take a look. Check out THIS link for an example.
You need your website to be testing in the 90’s. Google loves a website that is fast, and in a score out of 100, this is where you are aiming. When I first began testing my website, and my old articles, I was ranking SO LOW. I mean, right down in the 50’s somewhere!
So I began to do my research. How do I speed up my site? Immediately I came across some “Speed Wizards” that for only a few hundred dollars would get my site instantly running fast. It sounded great! But what about after that? I wanted to know how to do it myself.
So, more research.
Optimizing images did a hell of a lot for my website speed. Google really strikes you down in the rankings if it takes an age to load up your images. I went through every single image on my website and manually optimized them all. It took me 4 days.
Then, I researched plugins. There are many great, free plugins that will speed up your site, but in the end I landed on WordPress Rocket. It is a paid plugin, but does the job of about 3 or 4 free plugins, and therefore doesn’t weigh down your website, which would be counter productive!
Rocket got me instantly from the 60’s right up to the high 90’s. Now, it works in the background, and as long as I optimize my images properly, every article I produce tests around 98 – 100.
Not bad!
Check out the Rocket Plugin by clicking the link below. It’s one of the best investments I have made for my blog!
#10 – SEO is NOT a Dirty Word
Search Engine Optimization. That annoying little thing that we love to know as SEO.
It is important.
Make no mistake. SEO can make or break your website.
When it comes to Travel Blogging Tips, this one is right up there. It is also vitally important no matter what your niche. It doesn’t even have to be Travel. The reason for this is because there is simply no way that you are going to outrank the opposition without good SEO.
So, what is SEO anyway?
SEO is not just one thing. Do a search on the internet, and you will find entire sites completely dedicated to good SEO. Look at Neil Patel as a great example.
For us, though, we can keep it pretty simple. And the good news is that there are some awesome plugins such as Yoast SEO that help us along the way.
When I first started blogging, my articles took an age to write. This was mostly because I had no idea about SEO. I would finish writing, proudly read through it, then glance down at my Yoast score. It was then that my heart would drop, and an entire rewrite would follow.
These days, I write my article, and am so in tune with my SEO requirements that I hardly have to fix anything at the end. So trust me when I say that it gets easier.
When it comes to SEO in your travel blogging articles, you should be looking at a few things.
- Keywords. Both short and long tail. Use good, searchable keywords for every single article. Scatter them throughout the article naturally. Yoast SEO will teach you the best way to do this.
- Image optimization – I have already covered this point above.
- Internal links – Make certain to link your article to other relevant articles on your site. This helps Google to map your site, and get a better idea what your article is about.
- External links – for basically the same reason. Google needs to know what your article is about.
- Meta Description – Create a really good, informative meta description in Yoast that includes your keywords.
- Use your Key phrase in your title – Your selected targeted keywords should be in the title. Preferably right at the beginning.
- Use your keywords in headings – I don’t always do this, as it can be hard to do naturally. But if you can, then use your keywords in your headings.
- Speed – SEO has a lot of factors, and Google takes speed into account. If your article loads up slowly, it won’t rank. So use Rocket, and optimize those images!
There is a lot of competition out there when it comes to ranking on Google. Give yourself a headstart on the opposition, and do it right. Google will love you for it!
BONUS TIP! – Use the right affiliates
I’ve seen too many bloggers – not just travel bloggers, writing articles just aimed at their affiliate marketing. We all want to make money blogging, but you have to keep it in context!
Why?
Because Google notices. And so do your readers. The last thing you want is for Google to penalize you for writing misleading headlines and articles. Because that actually CAN happen.
One of the ways that I make sure I am able to stick by this rule is with Travelpayouts. They make it really easy to sign up to a lot of travel related affiliates all under the one account. Then, when I blog, I pick the right affiliates to advertise, right from that one account. It’s a no brainer really.
Summary
There are a LOT of Travel Blogging Tips that will help you to get ahead. These are my favorites, and some that have really helped me along the way. I am certain they will help you too!
Did you like this article? Did you find it helpful? Then drop a comment below and I promise that I will reply!
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