Professional travel blogs have become the modern travel guidebook. The types of articles found on travel blogs often have a practical intent: Where to go? What to eat? Where to sleep? What to do? They give travelers the same types of “objective” and practical information as guidebooks, but for free.
Most professional travel blogs are commercial, service-oriented content businesses. They exist to answer travelers’ questions and generate revenue from advertising, affiliate marketing, and direct sales.
In other words, professional travel bloggers are less concerned with posting personal stories, travelogues, or “subjective” musings than they are posting articles that answer questions that people are searching for.
Case in point: one “elite” travel and lifestyle blogger who accepts guest posts from other writers notes that she does not accept “diary-style travel writing,” but rather “detailed travel guides from your personal travels with tips and facts about a destination.”
Another professional blogger accepting guest posts writes “Your post should not be a story about a personal experience.” Instead, it should be “practical” as the title of their blog indicates.
And that’s fine. They are business that publish content to capture a portion of internet search traffic.
Types of articles for travel blogs
As professional travel blogs have a different focus than personal travel blogs, so too should they publish different types of articles.
A professional or commercial travel blogger needs to consider writing articles that will help serve people searching for travel-related questions and inspire them to travel.
But because they evolved from earlier travel blogs that published personal travelogues and musings, many professional travel bloggers today still write personal posts and articles from time to time. Or, they “sprinkle” personal anecdotes into their posts. It is helpful to incorporate these elements from time to time to “connect with your readers.”
Here are some ideas to help you begin.
Travel blog article ideas
- ## hours in…
- ## ways to…
- Day trips from…
- Destination guides
- Destination pieces
- Hiking near…
- How to…
- Itineraries
- Listicles
- One week in…
- One weekend in…
- Outdoor activities near…
- Reviews
- Road trips
- Roundups
- Side trips from…
- Things to do in…
- The ## best…
- The ## [hyperbolic adjective] [noun] in/to…
- Ultimate guide to [location/destination/festival/activity]
- What to do in…
- What to eat in…
- What to see in…
- Where to stay in…
Use these post title examples to explore other ideas. For example, “how to” articles can deal with destination-specific information or more general information about traveling, lifestyle, “travel hacking,” and the like.
Remember, if you want traffic to your travel blog, your goal is to help others by solving their problems, answering their questions, or inspiring them.
As I mentioned earlier, professional travel bloggers often publish personal posts alongside their commercial content from time to time.
Personal travel blog posts can literally be on any topic, but here are some ideas.
Ideas for personal articles on travel blogs
- An update from…
- I went to…
- My ## favorite Xs in Y
- My goals for [month/year]
- My favorite travel moments of/in [month/year/destination]
- My first time in…
- My recent itinerary in…
- My plans for [month/year]
- The truth about…
- What am I reading in [month/year/location]
- What’s in my carry-on?
- Why I love/hate…
- Why I…
- Year in review…
Now that you have some ideas for your travel blog articles, don’t forget these tips to help you write better articles optimized for the web.
How do you write a travel blog article?
- Use free keyword research tools like Ubersuggest to see what people are searching for and write content around it.
- Write a catchy title using numbers, hyperbole, and intrigue.
- Write long articles using short paragraphs.
- Remember your readers. Help them solve their problems.
- Use subheadings to organize your posts.
- Link to other posts on your site when appropriate.
- Make lists.
- Break up text using photos and other media.