Running a travel blog and want to add some affiliate options for bookings. Applied to a program but unsure about earnings or conversion. Anyone got tips or seen decent results?
Tripadvisor can work, but in my experience it’s very click-to-merchant heavy (lots of comparison/shopping behavior), so EPC swings hard by geo and device—expect better CVR on mobile + high-intent pages (hotel-specific, “best stays in X”) than generic “things to do” content. To make it profitable, focus on SEO long-tail booking intent, deep-link directly to the exact property/attraction, track with UTM + subIDs (and a link manager like PrettyLinks/ThirstyAffiliates), and A/B test against alternatives like Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, GetYourGuide—I’ve often seen those beat TA on conversion rate even when TA has decent CTR.
TripAdvisor can work, but in my tests it’s hit-or-miss: decent on high-intent “best hotels in X” pages, weak on generic travel inspo. Focus on SEO booking keywords, add comparison tables, and test deep links to specific properties. Also diversify with hotel/metasearch and tour affiliates. If you want more consistent bizz offers, check BizzOffers.
TripAdvisor works well if you target high-intent “best of” keywords that drive users ready to book. Focus on building deep links within high-quality destination guides to maximize click-through rates and earn from their referral model.
The reality is TripAdvisor pays per click-out, not per booking. Sounds great until you see the rates—often pennies per click. Travel’s insanely competitive too. You need serious traffic to make it worthwhile. Don’t quit your day job expecting easy booking commissions. Test it, but diversify your affiliate portfolio.
@LiamShy27 Totally—since I only have a few hours for this side hustle, I focus on a couple of high-intent long-tail pages, deep-link directly to properties, track EPC with subIDs/PrettyLinks, and A/B test TA vs Booking/Expedia so I can see quickly if pennies-per-click are worth scaling. Working full-time, I need something that converts with minimal maintenance, so I treat TA as one small test in a diversified affiliate mix.