The holiday season has passed. The first major holiday of the year (Valentine’s Day) is in the rear-view mirror. PPC advertisers can finally catch a break. Well, that is unless you’re in the travel industry! Now is the time to begin preparing for the many families who are already searching for vacation round 2. With the number of travel resources available online, families are able to prepare every miniscule detail of their trips – something they’ve been taking full advantage of!

73 percent of family travel planners use search engines to make travel decisions, and 30 percent declared search engines as their most important information source. When are these travel-seekers searching for inspiration? Bing data from the Bing Ads Insights Team revealed that the springtime, specifically April, is prime time for family vacation idea exploring. (Bing)

Let’s explore three key points derived from data in Bing Ads’ Family Travel Insights Report that will help you catch the eyes (and cash) of family-vacation-planners everywhere.

1. Be inclusive of all family members that range in age

Family vacations are anticipated as a time of cultivating connections and tightening family bonds. Make sure to keep this theme of “connection” in mind by being inclusive on your landing pages and marketing. While one individual may do the research, the entire family will be traveling together. Parents, partners, kids, grandparents… the list goes on.

Create Sitelinks or Callout Extensions within your PPC campaigns to lay the inclusive groundwork. Utilize your landing pages to showcase the various family-friendly amenities and services for all ages. Bing data revealed that 51 million Bing Network users have children in the household. Displaying inclusive ads and content will be the perfect way to inspire vacation ideas for the whole family, and seal the vacation deal.

2. Optimize your ads for both mobile and PC/tablet usage

How often do you find yourself surfing the net on your phone to spark ideas? How often do you make big decisions using search engines on your phone? Bing data revealed that interestingly, users seem to utilize their mobile and PC/tablet mediums differently. Mobile devices appeared much more promising for swift searches and vacation inspiration. Although this inspiration is the basis of vacation decisions, the ultimate vacation destinations were often decided and booked using a PC/tablet.

How does this information help? It’s crucial to ensure that you’re invested in producing quality campaign content to reach all consumers; no matter where they are and what device they choose to use. It has been shown that travel-related mobile clicks offer a lower cost-per-click (CPC), which would allow you to stretch your marketing dollars. Maximize the potential of those lower-cost mobile clicks with remarketing for search and be top-of-mind (and results) when the family travel research transitions from mobile to desktop!

3. Pay attention to emerging trends in family vacation desires

Everyone loves a good vacation, but what makes a vacation great is when it doesn’t leave a gaping hole in your pocket. According to Bing data, the top growth term in regards to family vacations and travel is “cheap family vacations”. In addition to an affordable vacation, a desire for outdoor activities appeared as a prominent trend.

What types of outdoor activities have families been on the lookout for? A growing interest in commonly less popular national parks has appeared. Although Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Glacier National Parks remain at the top of the list, growth appeared in searches for Death Valley, Canyonlands, and Petrified Forest National Parks.

Consumers also dream of visiting the beach all year long. Try investing in year-round campaigns that will remind this market of the sandy beaches they could be on. Utilizing remarketing would be a great way to reach previous visitors for these reminders.

Paying attention to and staying ahead of emerging trends will allow for the ultimate optimization of your ads. Follow trends, and update your keyword lists and ad copy as needed to be effective all year round.

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With Christmas trees hardly taken down, it’s hard to imagine the idea of more family vacations donning any minds. Seasonality is a fickle thing, particularly with travel. Vacations are a big-ticket item and are planned months ahead of the actual date of the trip. Knowing how to pivot and optimize your campaigns based on high vs. low travel seasons can’t be overstated. With the peak of family-vacation searches coming up in the spring, it’s important to start taking a look at how you can capture the attention of these travelers.

The 3 pointers provided shed some light on where the family travel market is heading in 2017. The crazy-smart data insights folks at Bing analyzed data that ultimately lead to these crazy-simple conclusions: It’s time to display your inclusiveness, it’s vital to be present whether mobile or PC/tablet, and it’s key to pay attention to emerging trends.

Want to keep learning more? Take a look at Bing Ads Family Travel Insights Report. An interesting read that almost competes with taking a vacation itself. (Emphasis: almost).