Raise Google Hotel Ads to the next level with Conversion Rate Optimization

The digital age is revolutionizing the hotel sector, that is why if we don’t work hard on it, we are left out of the market.

There are many digital channels that allow you to improve your online strategy and today we want to talk about two of them: Google Hotel Ads and Conversion Rate Optimization. Combining these two platforms will cause an exponential increase in your revenue. At 123Compare.me, customers increase their direct bookings by 22% thanks to the use of these tools.

 

Today there are 700,000 hotels around the world and it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the competition. Therefore, it is no longer enough to have excellent customer service, a well-structured website or competitive prices.

In order for your target audience to choose you, you have to go further, and one of the actions to take is planning a good hotel digital marketing strategy.

There are many options to carry out these strategies, one of them is through Google Hotel Ads, a platform previously offered by Google called “Google Hotel Finder”. In the hotel sector, Google is giving Google Hotel Ads^[1] more and more visibility than Google Ads^[2], so it is a very good option to take it into account for your marketing plan.

This platform is a leader among metasearch engines and the main objective is to direct the traffic that is looking for tourist accommodation to your hotel’s website.

It allows professionals in the hotel sector to create campaigns and show their ads along with the availability, rates, images, services offered and a link to book directly with the hotel channel.
There are three bid models (or payment), these models are focused on: Cost Per Click (CPC), Conversion Commission and Commission per Stay, so that you can choose the one that best suits at all times according to the needs of each establishment. For example, if you are starting to use the tool and you are not sure if you are going to be successful (since we live in uncertain times in the tourism sector) you can choose the Commissionable per Stay model, so you make sure that you will only pay in case having gotten more direct bookings with Google Hotel Ads.

 

Below we name 4 good practices when using this platform:

1. Segment your audience so that your ad is seen by those who are really your ideal customer.
2. Add your brand logo so that users detect that you are the direct channel and do not confuse you with an OTA.
3. Adjust the bids^[3] based on the behavior of travelers when doing a search to ensure more traffic.
4. Add every detail in the description of each type of room as it gives a more complete visual effect in the search results.

These kinds of tools have come to stay, especially when the volume of travel we had in the pre-pandemic era returns. So, if you haven’t thought about it, we encourage you to visit the official Google Hotel Ads site to start planning your digital marketing strategy for your hotel.

Once you have achieved traffic to your website thanks to Google Hotel Ads, you have to retain these users and end up booking directly from your website.

With the Conversion Rate Optimization tools, you will be able to convince the user that the best option is to make the reservation on your hotel’s website, instead of an OTA or other competitive hotel.

Thanks to the implementation of these tools (which are generally programmed as widgets ^[4]) throughout the purchase process, the user will be able to view personalized information about you and convince them to confirm the reservation.

If you’ve never heard of these products, here are some of them and what is their goal:

• Rate Comparison: By adding it to the home page and/or the booking engine page, you will be able to show your direct prices at the same time that the prices of the OTAs are shown in real-time. So your future client realizes that the best rate has already been found. Objective: credibility and conversion increase.

• Smash (personalized messages): Make messages appear with personalized information according to the type of person who is visiting your website. For example, if the search indicates a room for 2 adults and 2 children, the message may be related to discounts for families or facilities for children. Objective: To convince the user.

• Exit Intent: If the user wants to exit the page, a pop-up window with personalized content is launched. For example, if you book now you have a 10% discount. Objective: to recover bookings that could have been lost.

Let’s see an example of the conversion of one of our Star clients:

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There are many options for Conversion Rate Optimization tools, we have only mentioned a few examples. Depending on the needs and objectives of each hotel, it is recommended to add some tools or others. When contacting professionals in the sector, they will advise you on which is the best option for your case.

Now that you know a little more about these two tools, do you dare to start your digital strategy and increase your direct sales?

^[1]  Google Hotel Ads works by showing hotel, inn, and bed and breakfast data when a traveler performs a search. Results come in a map format, so guests can search for a property that’s located exactly where they need to go. Along with name and location, Google shows information like guest ratings, photos, Google Street View, and descriptions. It’s like a B&B metasearch, where guests can scroll through all results, get an overview of their options, and find the perfect property.

If a guest is interested in your property and they click on the link provided, Google sends them directly to your website where guests can continue their reservation. It saves you money when guests book over using an OTA, and it also gives you ownership of your guest’s data. Source: Little Hotelier

^[2] Google Ads is a paid online advertising platform offered by Google. The platform allows you to advertise and promote your products and services when users search relevant keywords. When done right, it has the potential to turbo-charge leads and sales.

Originally called Google Adwords, the search engine company rebranded the service as Google Ads in 2018.

The way it works remains essentially the same: When users search a keyword, they get the results of their query on a search engine results page (SERP). Those results can include a paid advertisement that targeted that keyword. Source: https://blog.hootsuite.com/google-ads/

^[3] The bid in Google Ads or Google Hotel Ads is the amount of money that the advertiser is willing to spend for each click on their ad. The costs per click vary depending on the number of advertisers who are promoting their business through paid advertising, the cost of the product or service you offer and the volume of searches for the keyword you are competing for, among other factors. Source: www.semconsultingbcn.com

^[4] A widget is an element of a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays information or provides a specific way for a user to interact with the operating system or an application. Source: https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/widget