Tripadvisor CEO Matt Goldberg says SEO is still relevant even as AI reshapes how people search and book travel. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, he explained that the same practices that help brands get indexed and cited also apply in AI-driven search, especially for trusted content created by real travelers. Tripadvisor is adapting by focusing on direct engagement with its brands—Tripadvisor, Viator, and TheFork—while investing in partnerships around AI-first search, multimodal discovery, and agentic AI. The company has already integrated OpenAI into its trip planning tools and partnered with Perplexity, seeing higher user retention and revenue from travelers who use AI itineraries. Goldberg emphasized that user-generated content remains a core asset, with authenticity being key to sustaining trust. He noted that generative search optimization is driving exponential, high-intent traffic, positioning Tripadvisor to remain a category leader as AI transforms the future of travel search.
In academic partnership with Virscend University, a WASC-accredited institution in Irvine, California.