Growing local bookings for Paddy & Nelly Bikes in Westport

Tourists choose activities on their phones, often after they arrive

Paddy & Nelly Bikes is a bike hire business in Westport, Co. Mayo, catering primarily to domestic and international tourists. With Westport a gateway to the Great Western Greenway, the business benefits from strong seasonal demand and a steady flow of visitors.

Tourism in Westport is highly seasonal, fast-moving and mobile-driven. Visitors often arrive in town before deciding what to book, relying heavily on Google Maps and local search results to make quick choices.

Competition for attention in search results was increasing, and even small drops in visibility could mean lost bookings. The business needed to be visible, trustworthy and easy to contact at the exact moment tourists searched for bike hire nearby.

The primary objective was to increase tourist bike hire bookings during the active season. That required:

• Better visibility for “bike hire Westport” searches
• A stronger presence in Google Maps
• A website optimised for quick decision-making
• Marketing activity clearly tied back to real enquiries and hires
• No wasted marketing spend outside peak tourist moments

We designed the strategy around how visitors actually behave

We developed a local, tourism-first digital strategy. Rather than chasing large volumes of traffic, the focus was on capturing nearby, ready-to-act searchers.

The second priority was removing friction between search, contact and hire, so that visitors could make a quick decision on a mobile device.

Four coordinated measures, from Google Maps to call tracking

Local SEO and Google Maps optimisation

Most potential customers were already in or near Westport when searching. We optimised the Google Business Profile to improve relevance for bike hire searches, strengthen map visibility and build trust through accurate information and strong local signals.

A mobile-first website for visitors short on time

We refined the website for tourists browsing on mobile devices. Pages were restructured to communicate bike hire options, location and next steps clearly, with an emphasis on speed, clarity and prominent calls to action.

Google Ads for high-intent searches

Paid search was used selectively to capture immediate demand during peak tourist periods. Campaigns were tightly geo-targeted around Westport and focused only on high-intent bike hire searches, keeping budgets efficient and performance predictable.

Tracking and measurement

We implemented clear tracking for phone calls and enquiries. Reporting focused on real-world outcomes such as calls and bookings rather than abstract digital metrics, so Paddy & Nelly Bikes could see how marketing translated into hires.

More local visibility and more calls from visitors already in Westport

Throughout the tourist season, Paddy & Nelly Bikes saw increased visibility in local search results, more calls from visitors already in Westport and stronger conversion from mobile users.

Digital marketing became a reliable channel for capturing tourist demand and supporting on-the-ground bike hires, rather than simply driving website traffic. The result came from aligning digital strategy with local tourism behaviour: location-based searches, mobile usability and fast decision-making.

The same approach suits bike hire operators, activity providers, tourism businesses and any seasonal business that relies on visitors making quick decisions after arriving in a destination.

Related capabilities: search advertising, SEO and AI search, booking systems and our work in tourism and hospitality. Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss a similar project.