Web searches for cruise breaks to the Caribbean up 50%

The agency's 'Cruise Sector Report - Issue 3', found a total of 2.2 million cruise-related queries were made on Google UK in November 2013.

While brand searches accounted for 59% of the overall total, destination-related searches were 12%, generic 14% and cruise ships 15%.

The Caribbean emerged the top hotspot on the destination front based on search demand. In fact, Greenlight's analysis shows search volumes for the most queried term 'Caribbean cruises' rose 50% on the previous quarter's (August) level, from 14,800 to 22,200 in November.

1.3 million searches pertaining to cruises were brand-related and the terms 'royal caribbean' and 'p&o' dominated these. Each was queried 135,000 times, accounting for 10% a piece of searches using brand-related keywords.

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Of the 342,000 searches specifically for cruise ships, 'independence of the seas' was the most queried, accounting for 5% of searches. 'Queen Mary 2' and 'oasis of the seas' followed with 4% a piece.

Greenlight ranked the most visible sites to consumer searches for cruises overall.
In natural search*, independent cruise agent, Iglucruise.com, was the most visible site overall, attaining a 67% share of visibility in the organic listings.

Royalcaribbean.co.uk was the most visible advertiser in the paid listings**, achieving a 43% share of voice.

Notes:

*Natural /organic Search- Listings in search engine results pages that appear because of their relevance to the search terms
**Paid Media - an Internet advertising model used on websites, in which advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked. With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market.

Greenlight's 'Cruise Sector Report - Issue 3' profiles search behaviour in this sector. It provides an exclusive snapshot of the online search and social media market, from the size of the potential audience to the top performing companies. It assesses which brands, websites and review sites were the most visible in Natural Search, Paid Media and Social Media and hence had the greatest share of consideration when consumers went to Google UK to look for Cruises in November 2013. Analysis is split by brand, cruise liners, destinations, and generic searches.