Alpine Retreats - Driving 215% Direct Bookings with Schema & Ski-Targeted SMM
Client: Alpine Retreats (3 properties in Aspen/Vail)
Timeline: 6-Months SEO & SMM
Business: Family-owned luxury cabin operator in Aspen/Vail targeting high-value ski tourists and summer wedding groups.
Challenge
Mobile UX Disaster: Booking engine failures costing direct revenue
Seasonal Collapse: 19% off-season occupancy vs. 90% peak
Invisible to Experience Seekers: Zero SEO presence for "elopement venues" or "summer trail cabins"
Social Proof Vacuum: No UGC or rich snippets beyond basic reviews
Solution
1. Website & SEO Transformation:
Mobile-First Booking Engine:
Redesigned booking flow with sticky CTA bar + live availability calendar,
Cut steps from 7 → 3; load time under 1.3s on mobile
Immersive Content Hub:
360° Virtual Tours with embedded schema markup (triggered "virtual tour" rich snippets)
Published 52 "Mountain Guide" posts
Targeted 87 experiential keywords (e.g., "pet-friendly cabins Aspen hot tub")
2. Ads & SMM Campaigns:
Meta Dynamic Ads: Retargeted cart abandoners with firepit package deals
Pinterest Idea Pins: "Apres-Ski Cocktail Recipes" driving winter traffic
UGC Contest: Rewarded guests for sunset photos
3. Ongoing Maintenance:
Reputation monitoring: Automated review requests via SMS
GMB posts synced with blog/event calendar
Cannibalization fix: Merged "vail-cabins" / "vail-lodges" service pages (traffic ↑ 193%)
Dynamic SEO Calendars: Content shifted quarterly
The Transformation
"Alpine Retreats shifted from seasonal struggle to year-round demand – slashing OTA fees by 38% while dominating SEO. Social UGC became their #1 marketing asset, driving $148k direct revenue and filling summer cabins at 54% occupancy (previously 19%). The mobile booking overhaul alone recaptured $220k in lost revenue.”
Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Direct Bookings | 22/month | 68/month | ↑ 215% |
Off-Season Occupancy | 19% | 54% | ↑ 184% |
OTA Dependency | 92% | 54% | ↓ 38% |
Avg. Daily Rate (Summer) | $299 | $419 | ↑ 40% |