Good news first. People want to travel. The global search for “where to travel” and “can I travel” are at a record level as per Google. While Google doesn’t share the number of searches, its research report shows that during the summer months, travel demand was nearly at 100, indicating a peak.
As millions of people worldwide search for hotels on Google, it is important to know how to grab the attention of your potential guests. Thanks to Google Hotel Listing which has been made freely available to all hoteliers earlier this year, it is now possible to attract them to your direct booking channel as well. Sounds interesting, right?
Domestic travel on the rise
It might sound cliché, but the fact remains that the pandemic has changed guest behaviour and preferences. After a year and more of travel restrictions, people want to visit and meet friends and family and create new experiences. As travel restrictions keep on changing, domestic travel is on the rise.
This is where Google Hotel Ads can help hoteliers get more exposure. Done correctly, Google will show your direct hotel booking link prominently along with other bidders when someone searches for accommodation.
Google Hotel Ads works with the same AdWords auction model where businesses bid for listings. If their bid is higher, provided other boxes are checked (like higher relevance), their name shows up on SERP when someone searches for the target keyword.
There are four types of paid hotel campaigns on Google –
- Commissions (pay-per-conversion): Pay only when a traveler books your hotel, depending on the payment model you choose.
- Commissions (pay-per-stay): Pay only when a traveler completes a stay that they booked through hotel ads. Available only to select partners.
- Max CPC bid (fixed or per cent): Pay when a traveler clicks on your ad. For the CPC bid strategies, you can adjust your bid by factors such as device type, traveler location, length of stay, and other factors.
- Enhanced CPC: Automates bid adjustments for a Max CPC bidding strategy.
Convenience in research
3.5 billion searches are made on Google every day, which is 92.47% of total searches on the internet. As travelers search for accommodation, Google Hotel Ads display rates and availability of properties on Google Search, Maps, and Assistant.
By providing intensive and comparative data right up and front based on user’s search query, as well as other factors, aiding their decision-making process, Google becomes the first touchpoint of the guest’s booking journey. It offers them higher convenience to browse through different hotels, check their amenities, and compare pricing – all from a single place.
This level of convenience, in fact, is one of the biggest factors why most people now book hotels online rather than choosing phone calls or relying on travel agents.
Enhanced experience
Did you know an easy-to-use website matters more to high-value travelers than online reviews or loyalty programs? User experience is clearly a key factor people consider when booking hotels online. Google Hotel Ads delivers here in a big way. It provides a consistent (and excellent) experience to the users. If a traveler is checking hotels for a city, it will show properties based on categories like Budget, Luxury and Top Rated.
If your property appears on the organic search result, upon clicking, the user will be taken to the Hotels Details Part which shows prices from various sites including potentially your own brand website.
You can have a fair chance of converting lookers into bookers by rich content, hotel photos and reviews. New and returning customers can be redirected to your brand website to book direct – or they can book on Google. The Book on Google option is a useful feature mitigating the risk for hotel owners of losing prospects because of poor-performing websites and unoptimized booking processes.
Boosted conversion
One of the biggest benefits of Google Hotel Ads is the conversion rate for hotel owners. Users would be redirected to your landing page after they have done thorough research on Google; after they have learned about your hotel, pricing, offers, and facilities and read the reviews. With all such information, if they decide to go to your landing page, they are likely to have high buying intent making the lead more qualified.
In Summary
With a lower than 8% acquisition cost, Google Hotel Ads can significantly help in the hotel’s digital marketing effort. If you haven’t already used it, take a step forward and tap on the power of Google Hotel Ads today. You’ll be surprised by the results.