Mercury Holidays is an award-winning UK tour operator offering package holidays, escorted tours, and river cruises worldwide. Since 1980, they have built a reputation for competitive pricing, ABTA protection, and flexible booking options. However, despite their strong brand presence, their search visibility for high-value travel keywords was falling behind competitors. To maintain their leadership in the travel sector, they needed an SEO strategy to enhance rankings, increase organic traffic, and drive more enquiries.
Their primary objective was to increase visibility for “escorted tours” and related search terms. Mercury Holidays aimed to rank in the top half of the first page for these terms, drive more organic traffic, and increase enquiries. Improving enquiry-to-booking conversions was also a key focus to contribute to a blended 3:1 ROI.
Additionally, their website had technical SEO issues, including poor Core Web Vitals scores and slow page speeds, which impacted both user experience and search rankings. Fixing these problems was critical to improving overall site performance and engagement.
Finally, Mercury Holidays wanted to expand its keyword coverage by targeting new high-value search segments. Through strategic keyword research, we identified 20+ new pages that could acquire additional search variations, tapping into an opportunity of 5,000 searches per month across different regions, demographics, and trip types.
To achieve these goals, Ink Digital developed a multi-layered SEO and CRO strategy. We conducted a full technical SEO audit, focusing on Core Web Vitals, page speed improvements, and mobile usability. We also analysed Mercury Holidays’ existing content structure and keyword rankings to identify gaps and opportunities.
A keyword sitemap was created to target high-value terms. This research led to the development of new pages covering different search intents, from regional travel guides to demographic-specific trip recommendations. Our approach ensured that Mercury Holidays could capture a wider range of relevant searches while improving rankings for their core terms.
Alongside SEO, we carried out a CRO audit to analyse user behaviour on key pages. By understanding how visitors navigated the site, we refined design templates for category pages, destination hubs, and escorted tour landing pages. This allowed us to improve page layouts, streamline conversion paths, and maximise enquiry rates.
Before working with Ink Digital, Mercury Holidays faced several technical SEO challenges that limited their organic performance. Slow page speed and poor Core Web Vitals scores were reducing visibility, while existing content structures were not fully optimised for high-value keywords. Their search presence for “escorted tours” and “guided tours” was inconsistent, leading to missed opportunities in organic traffic.
Our first step was to resolve these technical issues. We optimised site speed by implementing server-side improvements, image compression, and efficient caching. This led to a measurable improvement in loading times and user engagement metrics.
Next, we executed a content strategy based on our keyword sitemap research. We developed over 20 new pages targeting high-intent searches, ensuring that Mercury Holidays could capture additional search volume. These included dedicated pages for different tour types, regional destinations, and demographic-based travel preferences.
Our CRO audit provided insights into how users engaged with the site. Based on this data, we redesigned the escorted tours category page, destination hub pages, and key landing pages. The new templates improved clarity, navigation, and conversion paths, leading to increased user engagement and enquiry rates.
The optimisation efforts had a direct impact on search visibility. By expanding content coverage and improving technical performance, we saw an increase in rankings for both “escorted tours” and “guided tours.” Within three months of implementation, Mercury Holidays experienced a notable rise in traffic and impressions.
Achieved 2.7K additional clicks over a three-month period for key search terms like “escorted tours.” We also generated 63.7K impressions for these key travel-related terms over the same period.
Delivered a 181% increase in total keyword impressions, significantly boosting visibility across all targeted search terms.
Ink Digital’s expertise in technical SEO, content optimisation, and conversion rate improvements helped Mercury Holidays achieve measurable gains in search visibility and user engagement. By addressing core web vitals, expanding keyword coverage, and optimising page structures, we delivered a strategy that not only improved rankings but also contributed to increased enquiries and ROI. This case study demonstrates how a data-driven SEO and CRO approach can transform search performance for travel businesses.
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