Our Successful Project
Hollis Cedar Travel Index
Our Success Stories
Project Overview
One data story, 41 editorial links and direct bookings up 58%. A three-property hotel group depended on booking platforms. A regional travel study earned coverage, authority and a route to direct reservations. The group had no links from travel publications and no content about the region its guests came to see.
- Category:
- Hospitality
- Service type:
- Digital PR & Link Earning
- Engagement:
- 12 months, Authority retainer
- Location:
- Fredericksburg, TX
- Client name:
- The Hollis Cedar Inn
Key Results And Tangible Business Benefits
The Hollis Cedar Inn paid commission on seven of every ten bookings. Its own site ranked for the hotel name and little else. Over twelve months the work below changed the numbers that matter to the business, not just the ones that look good on a chart.
Direct bookings per month
92145+58%
Referring domains
63188+125
Monthly organic sessions
5,10019,700+286%
Share of bookings paying commission
71%54%-17 pts
Fictional client. All figures and quotes are sample data.
What We Did
Five Pieces of Work, In This Order
- 01
The Hill Country weekend index
Analyzed public lodging and event data to rank 30 Texas towns for a two-night trip. Published with methodology and charts.
- 02
Pitched by hand
Sent 86 individual emails to travel and lifestyle writers. Forty-one publications linked to the study.
- 03
Regional guides
Published 22 guides to wineries, trails and seasons, each linking to room pages.
- 04
Room and offer pages
Rewrote 14 room pages with real detail and added structured data for rates and availability.
- 05
Booking engine tracking
Connected the booking engine so revenue could be tied to landing pages.
Services used
Team: PR lead, strategist, travel writer
Results Over Time
Twelve Months, Three Measures
Organic sessions a month
Sessions from organic search
| Month | Organic sessions |
|---|---|
| Nov | 5,100 |
| Dec | 5,666 |
| Jan | 4,946 |
| Feb | 6,653 |
| Mar | 6,264 |
| Apr | 8,397 |
| May | 8,799 |
| Jun | 10,984 |
| Jul | 12,525 |
| Aug | 14,551 |
| Sep | 17,351 |
| Oct | 19,700 |
Average position
Tracked keywords, lower is better
| Month | Average position |
|---|---|
| Nov | #16.9 |
| Dec | #16.7 |
| Jan | #16.0 |
| Feb | #15.0 |
| Mar | #13.8 |
| Apr | #12.5 |
| May | #11.0 |
| Jun | #9.7 |
| Jul | #8.4 |
| Aug | #7.5 |
| Sep | #6.8 |
| Oct | #6.6 |
Direct bookings
Per month
| Month | Direct bookings |
|---|---|
| Nov | 92 |
| Dec | 99 |
| Jan | 91 |
| Feb | 108 |
| Mar | 103 |
| Apr | 119 |
| May | 119 |
| Jun | 130 |
| Jul | 136 |
| Aug | 138 |
| Sep | 148 |
| Oct | 145 |
Sample figures for a fictional client. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys on a chart, or switch to the table view.
Timeline
How The Year Ran
- 01
Months 1 to 2
Angle test, data analysis and study build.
- 02
Months 3 to 4
Pitching and coverage.
- 03
Months 4 to 8
Regional guides and room pages.
- 04
Months 9 to 12
Second study, seasonal refreshes.
Reporters still email us about that study. It did more for our name than three years of sponsored posts.
Take the First Step. Put Your Marketing on a Plan That Compounds
Join the monthly briefing: one page on what changed in search, paid, social and email, and what to do about it. No sales emails, and you can leave in one click.
Demo form. Or request a free audit instead.
