Protecting the Beauty of Lake Tahoe with a Data-Backed Campaign
After a domain migration reduced search visibility, Visit Lake Tahoe needed more than a recovery. It needed a reset.
Noble’s performance marketing team rebuilt its digital presence from the ground up, turning lost traffic into record engagement and guiding travelers toward more sustainable, high-value experiences.
A Data-Driven Approach
After rebranding from “Tahoe South” to “Visit Lake Tahoe,” a domain migration triggered a sharp drop in organic traffic and keyword rankings. The destination’s position for the critical high-volume keyword “Lake Tahoe” dropped from first to third, significantly impacting traffic.
At the same time, Visit Lake Tahoe was navigating a second challenge: managing increased visitation post-pandemic in a fragile alpine ecosystem. The brand needed to not only recover its search presence but also build campaigns that encouraged responsible tourism to preserve the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe, a dual challenge that demanded a data-driven, performance-first strategy.
Three Key Challenges
- Regain top search ranking for “Lake Tahoe” and other high-volume terms.
- Increase organic traffic by 30% year over year.
- Influence visitor behavior by attracting eco-conscious travelers more likely to support sustainable tourism.
Three Key Metrics
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17
%
More Overnight Stays
-
13
%
Higher Accommodation Spending
-
+6
%
Sustainability Audience Accommodations
Implementing a Sustainable SEO Strategy
To recover lost search authority and increase organic website traffic, Noble Studios employed a comprehensive set of SEO tactics. This included everything from topic clustering, content optimization, technical SEO improvements, keyword research, seasonal content strategies and schema markup implementation.
The team began with an in-depth SEO audit to rebuild site architecture, improve crawlability and clarify content signals. Monthly keyword research informed new content opportunities, with a focus on high-impact categories like “Things to Do” and accommodations. We leveraged generative AI for content ideation, enhancing their SEO efforts with AI-assisted creativity. This approach enabled us to consistently produce relevant, optimized content that aligned with user intent and search trends.
Technical improvements focused on optimizing site structure and improving crawlability. By implementing schema markup and refining internal linking, Visit Lake Tahoe improved its site’s ability to communicate context and relevance to search engines. The team’s commitment to regular audits and adjustments ensured that the site maintained high technical standards throughout the campaign.
A Place To Visit and Protect
Restoring search rankings was only part of our data-driven strategy. Noble Studios also needed to transform visitor behavior by targeting and attracting eco-conscious travelers shown through data to be more likely to practice sustainable tourism. Success metrics included reducing visits to over-touristed areas like Emerald Bay while increasing overnight stays and accommodation spending. Noble Studios used data analytics to identify and promote less-visited areas of Lake Tahoe, aiming to reduce pressure on popular locations while maintaining overall visitor satisfaction. The strategy targeted a measurable reduction in overcrowded hotspots, with specific focus on achieving at least a 15% reduction in traffic to oversaturated areas.
We leveraged visitor spending data to attract high-value, sustainability-minded travelers who historically demonstrated longer stays and higher accommodation spend. The goal was to increase average visitor spending while reducing environmental impact.
To drive meaningful engagement and align with Visit Lake Tahoe’s mission of stewardship, performance marketing needed a creative foundation that connected emotionally with travelers. The “Awe and then Some” brand platform delivered just that.
Across search, paid media and partner content, the campaign told a consistent story: that Lake Tahoe isn’t just awe-inspiring, it’s a place worth caring for. Striking visuals showcased the destination’s natural appeal, while copy urged visitors to travel with intention. This behavioral lens shaped everything from keyword-targeted landing pages to carousel ads and email campaigns. Whether users arrived through Google or Instagram, they landed in an experience that balanced awe with accountability.
The team used real-time engagement data to shape messaging that adapted to traveler behavior throughout their journey. This gave rise to the “Rules to Lake By” framework, rooted in insights about how eco-conscious visitors responded to sustainability themes. Travelers who engaged with this content tended to stay longer and travel more responsibly.
Keep Tahoe Awesome: Rules to Lake By Video
Lake Tahoe is awe and then some. But all this awesome doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from taking care of this beautiful destination. As part of our Rules to Lake By campaign, Noble Studios and Visit Lake Tahoe created a video featuring five ways that both tourists and locals can protect the awe. Check out the video below.
A New Benchmark for Destination Performance
When Visit Lake Tahoe lost visibility after a domain migration, the path forward had to do more than restore rankings. It needed to rebuild relevance with the right audiences and reassert authority in one of travel’s most competitive search spaces. The PMX team responded with a performance strategy that matched precision targeting with consistent optimization, translating foundational fixes into lasting gains
Reclaiming Visibility with Intent
Restoring top placement for “Lake Tahoe” required more than technical fixes. The team rebuilt content depth, refined site architecture and aligned paid media with real-time intent signals. Search, social and email all pulled from the same data source, enabling sharper message delivery and more efficient reach.
-
1
Search Rank Reclaimed for “Lake Tahoe” (450K+ monthly searches)
-
45
%
Year-Over-Year Increase in Organic Traffic
-
63
%
Higher Social Click-Through Rates
-
38
%
Unique Email Open Rate
Turning Engagement into Advocacy
Once visibility returned, the focus shifted to who was engaging and how their behavior changed. Using location and audience data, the PMX team helped direct visitors toward less-trafficked areas and supported businesses aligned with sustainable practices. The result was stronger economic impact, lower strain on high-volume zones and more traction from partners across the destination.
-
17
%
Overnight Stays
-
13
%
Accommodation Spending
-
39
%
Reduced Visits to Overcrowded Areas
-
65
%
Partner Referrals
“Through focused SEO efforts, we’ve not only regained the #1 position for key search terms but also enhanced the quality of our web traffic, ensuring that more visitors are finding and engaging with what makes Lake Tahoe truly special.”
STUART MASS
– Sales & Marketing Manager , Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Awards
- eTourism Summit Excellence Awards Best Data-Driven Marketing Strategy
- Zartico Data Hero Destination Stewardship
Lets make this year your best yet.
