If you’re working with content creators or investing in short-form video to promote your destination, here’s something you need to know: Google is now showing Reels, TikToks, and Shorts directly in search results.
Yes, really. That means the 30-second restaurant reel from last season or the TikTok about your hidden waterfall might now pop up when someone Googles “best places to eat in [your town].” And that changes the game.
Influencer Content Isn’t Just For Social Anymore
This update gives short-form content a whole new purpose. Instead of just aiming for likes and shares on social media, destination content can now rank in search and get in front of people who are actively planning trips.
It’s not just the fresh content either. If older creator posts are still live and include the right keywords, those videos might start gaining new traction, essentially breathing new life into past partnerships.
Captions = Search Power
Here’s the real shift: captions, voiceovers, and even on-screen text now help determine if (and where) your content shows up on Google.
Creators used to get away with clever one-liners or inside jokes in their captions. Now, if we want their videos to work harder, we need to brief them to include:
- Location names (city, region, business)
- Descriptions of the experience (e.g., kayaking, winery tour, family-friendly activity)
- Keywords people actually search for (like “romantic getaways,” “weekend trip,” “best brunch”)
In short, captions are the new metadata. The more specific, the better.
Why It Matters For Your Destination
This shift gives us a chance to stretch the ROI of our influencer content. A Reel that gets 20K views on Instagram could now show up for weeks in Google Search, capturing new interest from people planning a trip.
It also means we don’t need to choose between SEO and influencer strategy anymore. They can now work hand in hand.
How We Can Take Advantage
Here’s what we recommend to make the most of this shift:
- Tweak creator briefs: Let’s make sure we’re asking for captions that include keywords and descriptions people might actually Google. Not just “epic weekend,” but “weekend escape to X” or “best hikes in northern Y.”
- Ask for on-screen text and voiceovers: Google is getting smarter at understanding context, especially when key phrases are said or written in the video.
- Cross-post content: Sharing Reels as YouTube Shorts or TikToks (and vice versa) increases the chances that one of them gets indexed.
- Add creator content to the website: Embedding videos in blog posts or experience pages helps Google index them more effectively, especially when there’s a clear focus on a single activity or location.
Final Thought
This isn’t just a fun feature. It’s a shift in how people discover travel inspiration. Instead of hunting through hashtags, future visitors are searching “what to do in [location]” on Google… and short-form video is now part of what they’re seeing first.
The destinations that lean into this now won’t just get more mileage from their creator partnerships. They’ll be the ones showing up in search when it matters most.
