SEO AUDIT DEC ’11HTTP: / /FATBALLOON.CO.UK

Who are the Thomas Cook group?

Thomas Cook Group plc is a British online/offline travel company created on 19 June, 2007 by the merger of Thomas Cook AG and MyTravel Group plc. At flotation on the London Stock Exchange 52% of the shares in the new company were held by the German mail order and department store corporation Arcandor (former owners of Thomas Cook AG) and 48% owned by the shareholders of MyTravel. On 9 June 2009 Arcandor filed for bankruptcy.[3] The merger, which was backed by 99.9% of shareholders, took place through the formation of 'NewCo' which effectively purchased MyTravel and Thomas Cook and was then listed on the London Stock Exchange under the name of Thomas Cook Group plc (LSE: TCG).[4] It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

It was announced on 8 October 2010 that Thomas Cook Group was to merge with The Co-operative Travel to create the UK's largest travel network.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook_Group

Thomas Cook - In the press

Travel firm Thomas Cook fights for futurehttp://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Travel-fi

rm-Thomas-Cook-fights-future/story-14142626-detail/story.html

Thomas Cook Bridge street ‘to close’ http

://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/et-business/business-news/thomas_cook_s_bridge_street_branch_to_close_1_3342239

Thomas Cook closes shops as losses mounthttp://www.compareaway.co.uk/news/2011/12

/16/thomas-cook-close-shops-and-losses-mount/

Summary

This report will focus on using common tools, which are placed for SEO for general marketing and competitor analysis.

Thomas Cook has been a well known and respected airline over the last few years in Britain.

They have served package holidays for many Britons and traditionally working classes.

What happened?

No need for package holidaysMore intelligent marketing from competition Moving with the times / evolution String of ‘unhealthy’ PR events that

negatively affected company profile. Talisman stepping down.

What can we do?

Build a new space for the brand Get the maximum effect from existing

channels Recover positions and affect change on

competitors. *Arrest the decline and extent the Product

Life Cycle*

How will we do it?

Spend no moneyUsing best practices Creativity campaignsPR*M&S recovery*

Who’s done it before?

Starbucks Expanding too quickly in the wrong market. Returning

of former CEO to focus on core product and customer affinity.

Marks and Spencer Entering a different market for ‘luxury’ goods.

Skoda Re-initiation under a stable parent company - VW

Apple Combination of Next & Apple as well as new senior

staffing to focus on innovation, consumer and aesthetic beauty.

Part 1 - SEO

Competitive RankDomain level metricsGoogle Insights For Search

Google Insights over the past year What was important

Keywords Link building

Social Media Listen and respond

1.1 - Competitive Rank

1.1.1 – Competitive Rank

Companies that have / are taken / taking market share from Thomas Cook holidays.

Lastminute.com Thompson.co.uk Expedia.co.ukFirstchoice.co.ukDirectholidays.co.uk Travelsupermarket.comTeletextholidays.co.ukeBookers.com

1.2 - Domain Level Metrics – Competitors

1.2.1 Domain Level Metrics – TC Regional

Part 2 – Tertiary Strategies

Create extended niche(s) online for ‘last minute’ style branding.

Community Feedback channel for listening and understanding

customers. Brand association

Diversify reputation by gaining affiliation with ‘sister’ companies

2.1 - Outreach

Integration with community. Use existing contacts to build brand advocates through intimacy

Use existing customer email database Paid surveys

2.2 Thomas Cook Network

Examples of niche sites.Mile High Members ClubWho’s been to ‘Disney Land’ for example,

micro sites Create an entire niche community from spin off micro

sites.

Benefits, each network is an adjunct to the brand, creating an extra depth of reach and awareness for the brand.

2.3 - Example Image

Branded watermarkAll tagged on FacebookVirally shared Transferable Media

2.2 – Affiliations

Partner with travel websites: Trip Advisor Expedia Hotels.com LateRooms.com TopTable.com Hostel World Holiday Extras Book Direct Rooms

Integrate reviews from above sitesCreate social experience

- Recommendations based on where people have been, what their interests are. Recommend dinners, sites, hotels and so on based on social information collected and collated from above sources.

3 - Insights for search ‘ Thomas cook’

3.1 - Google Insights, an explanation

BAD PR!Industry influencing factors that could have been avoided. Chief exacutive resigning could have been turned around to ‘Thomas Cook employs new, exciting CEO to take company into 2012!”

4 – Keywords - Summary

Keyword Competition Global p/m Google.co.uk Google.co.uk URLholiday in majorca 0.87 90500 1 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-eodipb/holidays-majorcaholiday deals in egypt 0.97 27100 1 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-en6uli/holidays-egyptegypt holiday resorts 0.86 880 1 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-en6uli/holidays-egyptegyptian holiday resorts 0.83 210 1 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-en6uli/holidays-egyptholiday to majorca 0.87 90500 2 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-eodipb/holidays-majorcamanos holidays 0.86 9900 2 www.thomascook.com/holiday to ayia napa 0.93 22200 3 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-en97hs/holidays-ayia-napaholidays to lanzarote 0.94 60500 4 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-eodicz/holidays-lanzaroteholiday in ayia napa 0.93 22200 4 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-en97hs/holidays-ayia-napaholidays on the cheap 0.95 2740000 6 www.thomascook.com/

Keyword Competition Global p/m Google.co.uk Google.co.uk URLholidays on the cheap 0.95 2740000 6 www.thomascook.com/holidays in greece 0.82 165000 7 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-en6um5/holidays-greeceholidays of greece 0.82 165000 19 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-en6um5/holidays-greeceholidays for tenerife 0.77 165000 -holidays at tenerife 0.77 165000 -holidays to greece 0.82 165000 -cheap all in holidays 0.97 135000 25 www.thomascook.com/cruise/minute holiday deals 0.96 135000 -holiday in majorca 0.87 90500 1 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-eodipb/holidays-majorcaholiday to majorca 0.87 90500 2 www.thomascook.com/lp/1x6-eodipb/holidays-majorca

1

2

4.1 – Keyword - Detail

http://www.thomascook.com Table 1 – Keywords ranked by position in Google

UK. Table 2 – Keywords ranked by global search

volume. The closer the number is to ‘1.0’ the harder the keyword is

to rank for based on competition. Thomascook.com is ranking P1 for keywords with

competition of 0.97. Ability to rank for other keywords, just shift focus and apply

best practices to these terms too. Subtle on site changes and quality links can produce

benefits of up 100,000 more visits p/m within 90 days.

4.2 – International SEO

http://www.tomanthony.co.uk/tools/international-seo-backlinks-tool/

Shows links to thomascook.com from a survey of 1,000- International site getting majority of its links from English

language speaking sites.

URL TLD Subdomain Titles_Languagewww.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/travelguide.htm .co.uk www.spartacus Englishwww.london2012.com/about-us/the-people-delivering-the-games/london-2012-olympic-games-partners.php .com www Englishwww.mytravel.com/ .com www Englishwww.dmoz.org/Recreation/Travel/Travel_Agents/ .org www Englishwww.bazaarvoice.com/about/clients-all .com www Englishwww.birminghamairport.co.uk/destinations.aspx .co.uk www Indonesiannews.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8136193.stm .co.uk news Englishwww.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-holiday-haggling-guide .com www English

Social Media – Existing

Emergency listen and react. Important channel for Adopt social sharing!http://www.facebook.com/thomascook http://twitter.com/ThomasCookUKhttp://www.thomascook.com/about-us/social-

media/ Not enough!

Social Media – Recommendations

http://twitter.com/#!/zappos Personal support channel Listen and respond http://www.deliveringhappiness.com/

Create – www.whatdreamsaremadeof.com OR – www.holidaydreams.com Remarket – Target users to upload holiday images and

tag themselves in for Facebook Sharing options for social media Brand each uploaded image with a corner logo of Thomas

Cook

Social Media - Listen

Listen and react Radian 6 Brandwatch Ice Rocket

Conclusion

It’s important to get the most out of exiting channels and live by ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ philosophy.

Build brand awareness and tailor experiences through social media.

Create affiliations with other brands to enhance experience.

Shift or expand focus with keywords to win small battles in search results pages.