Hotel metasearch site UpTake is embarking on what it claims is a web-first to aggregate not only travel information from suppliers but also bloggers around the world.
Known as Travel Gems, UpTake's system will feed relevant content from travel bloggers against search results using pingback technology developed by the company.
The programme will launch in conjunction with Travel Channel website World Hum as its first content provider.
UpTake president Yen Lee says the system will benefit users by giving them access to relevant editorial and also bloggers through exposure to a wider audience.
Blog content featured on the Gems site includes the post title, blog name, a thumbnail image and a excerpt from the blog, allowing UpTake visitors determine if they want to click through to the actual blog.
Although the system is being marketed as a consumer-driven initiative, clearly UpTake will benefit enormously from the SEO value of the pingback system it has created for use by bloggers.
Writers can automatically alert the UpTake engine to a relevant post on their blog by including a dedicated link.
A screening system will be used to prevent inappropriate content finding its way to search results on the main UpTake site.
Lee says:
"Through Travel Gems, UpTake merges two social media communities, travel review sites and blogging to improve the online trip planning experience.
"Travel Gems extends our mission of aggregating the most useful travel information to help consumers decide upon a better trip."
"Through Travel Gems, UpTake merges two social media communities, travel review sites and blogging to improve the online trip planning experience.
"Travel Gems extends our mission of aggregating the most useful travel information to help consumers decide upon a better trip."
Last week Lee savaged search sites Google and Bing in a blog post following their appearance at the PhoCusWright@ITB event in Berlin, Germany.