Internet Business Model for Travel Affiliates
During the Economic Downturn

The typical internet business model for travel affiliates would include the following:

• You have a website build around a specific theme, e.g. a specific island, city or province. Hobby themes could include the travel industry e.g. golf destinations. What about pet friendly destinations if you have a website about dogs or cats?


• Unique content on your website providing information about the destinations you promote.


• Search engine optimization for keywords using profitable keywords with minimum competition.


• Article promotion to online article directories such as ezinarticles.com, goarticles.com or articlealley.com to promote specific holiday packages or destinations.


• Link building strategies which include business directories, one way and reciprocal links.


• Social media marketing such as Twitter and Facebook to let your audience know about special deals.


• Video marketing on Youtube to promote specific destinations or products.


• Include contextual advertising on your web pages from one of the advertising networks like Google or Adbrite.
• Promote travel books and maps about destinations from your website.


• Include PPC marketing. Make use of second tier networks like 7search.com for cheaper advertising rates.


• Use Squidoo for link building and to drive traffic to special offers.


• Offer a free report about your own unique experience with a hotel or cruise.


• List building.


• Ezine to promote special offers.

Travel affiliates should be aware of consumer behavior and adjust their internet business model accordingly. In the current economic downturn the following information from EfficientFrontier.com is a real eye opener.

"This demonstrates that consumers are trending towards bargains and deals, and are comparison shopping, thus using search as a means to find the best rates and cheapest deals. It is important to note that while keywords containing cheap and discount have done well, both from a traffic and a monetization point of view ... People are less brand focused and more value conscious." (Download search engine reports for the U.S. and U.K. at Efficientfrontier.com to get more insight into consumer behavior.

As a travel affiliate you may be interested to include special deals, bargain packages and best rates in your internet business model. Easytobook.com has a best rate guarantee for their customers. This coincides with the consumer behavior discussed above. Read the in depth review of this travel affiliate program.

The top 10 travel search terms will benefit travel affiliates who want to stay on top of trends and in return increase their affiliate income. As consumers use searches to find bargains, search engine optimization are playing even a more vital role in monetization. Revisit your internet business model and your SEM strategy to take full advantage of above mentioned consumer behavior.

The graphic below clearly illustrates the preferences in search terms for the travel and accommodation industry between March 2009 and May 2009. Use it to your advantage.

The online marketing has become definitely more challenging for travel affiliates. Research is paramount to your success. Adjust your internet business model and strategy to take advantage of consumer trends in the travel industry.