The AI-SEO Shift: Why Your Travel Brand’s Content Strategy Needs a Rethink
Google Isn’t Just Delivering Links Anymore
If your content calendar still revolves around blog posts like “Top 10 Things to Do in Lisbon” - t’s time for a serious refresh.
With Google’s AI Overviews (formerly called Search Generative Experience) rolling out across more queries, search is becoming far more answer-driven than click-driven. That means your content can no longer just aim for page one, but needs to earn its way into the summary box itself.
This shift is particularly important for brands in travel, tourism, and lifestyle, where recommendations, tips, and experiences are often part of the user journey.
The Stats Are In: AI Summaries Are Surging
According to Search Engine Land, AI Overviews increased by 381% for travel queries following the March 2025 core update. Searches like “things to do in…” and “best races in Europe” are now far more likely to surface AI-generated answers - reducing click-throughs to traditional blog posts.
That’s not all.
A recent Semrush-backed study shows that AI Overviews now appear in up to 47% of Google searches, marking a 115% increase since March. In other words: visibility now means being cited within Google’s AI-generated result, not just ranking high on the page.
How to Future-Proof Your Content Strategy
Here’s how travel and lifestyle brands can evolve their SEO playbook in 2025:
1. Add Structured Data and Schema Markup
Make your content easy for AI to read and summarize. Add event schema for races, local business schema for travel services, and FAQ schema for list-style guides.
2. Prioritize EEAT
Google’s ranking model rewards Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. This means content should come from real people, with real-world stories or credentials.
3. Optimize for High-Intent, Planning-Based Queries
Target niche search terms that align with high purchase or planning intent. Examples:
“Best trail marathons in South America with travel packages”
“How to book a small group safari through Botswana”
“Solo travel destinations for female runners”
These are the queries AI Overviews are likely to prioritize, and subsequently the ones that drive action.
Travel Tip: Add Firsthand Experience to Your SEO Strategy
Don’t abandon blog content; instead be open to evolving.
Combine SEO best practices with authentic, narrative-driven storytelling. Firsthand experience is a trust signal that AI and users alike recognize and reward. A post titled “Top 10 Things to Do in Lisbon” might fall flat - but one called “What Surprised Me Most About Solo Travel in Lisbon” could surface as a cited opinion in an AI-generated result.
TL;DR: Google’s Search Isn’t Static. Your Strategy Shouldn’t Be Either
SEO is no longer about chasing blue links. It’s about earning trust at the summary level - especially in industries like travel, tourism, and lifestyle where users crave real, actionable guidance.
Start now:
Revisit old blog content and apply schema.
Prioritize topics where you can offer unique perspective or firsthand insight.
Monitor which of your pages show up in AI summaries and optimize accordingly.
The brands that adapt early will be the ones that stay discoverable - no matter how the algorithm evolves.
Need help rethinking your SEO for an AI-first world?
I help travel, race, and experience-based brands create content that connects with real people and ranks in the new search landscape. Let’s talk about how I can help.
