What is a metasearch engine?
A hotel metasearch engine is a search engine that aggregates search results from multiple search engines, directories, and databases and presents them to the user in a unified format. Instead of searching a single search engine, a metasearch engine allows users to search several search engines at once, providing a broader and more comprehensive search result. The metasearch engine gathers information from multiple sources and ranks the results based on relevancy and other factors. Some popular examples of metasearch engines include Google Hotels, Kayak, Skyscanner, and Indeed.
What is google hotel ads?
Google Hotel Ads is a service offered by Google that allows hotels and travel companies to showcase their properties and rates on Google Search and Google Maps. Google Hotel Ads allows users to search for hotels and view rates, availability, and other details directly within Google search results. This helps users to easily compare prices and availability from different hotels, while also allowing hotels to reach a wider audience and increase their visibility.
Google Hotel Ads works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which means that hotels only pay when a user clicks on their ad. Hotels can also use bidding strategies to control how much they are willing to pay for each click, and can target their ads to specific geographic locations or user demographics. Overall, Google Hotel Ads can be a powerful tool for hotels looking to increase their online visibility and drive more bookings.
How to set up google hotel ads
To set up Google Hotel Ads, you will need to follow these steps:
- Sign up for a Google Ads account if you don’t have one already.
- Connect your hotel’s property management system (PMS) to Google Hotel Center. This can usually be done through a connectivity provider or channel manager. You might already be connected through and eligible for free booking links. You can check this by writing your hotel name on the Google Travel platform. Note! To be listed in free booking links is usually not enough as they are estimated to represent only 10 % of the total clicks in Google Hotels.
- Create a Hotel Ads account in Google Ads and link it to your Hotel Center account.
- Create a new paid hotel campaign in Google Ads, set your budget, and choose your targeting options, such as location and device.
- Create your hotel ads, including ad headlines, descriptions, images, and pricing information.
- Set up your bids and bidding strategy for your hotel ads.
- Launch your Hotel Ads campaign and monitor your performance using the reporting and analytics tools in Google Ads.
It’s important to note that setting up Google Hotel Ads can be a complex process, and many hotels may benefit from working with a digital marketing agency or a certified Google partner to help them set up and manage their campaigns effectively.
What are the best hotel metasearch engines?
There are several hotel metasearch engines available that can help users find the best hotel deals. Here are some of the best hotel metasearch engines:
Google Hotel Search – Allows users to search for hotels by location, date, and price, and also offers filters for rating, amenities, and brand.
Trivago – A popular hotel metasearch engine that compares prices from multiple booking sites and offers filters for location, price, and amenities.
Kayak – In addition to flights and rental cars, Kayak also offers hotel searches with filters for price, location, and rating.
TripAdvisor – Along with reviews and ratings, TripAdvisor also offers a hotel metasearch engine that compares prices from multiple booking sites.
HotelsCombined – Aggregates hotel prices from multiple booking sites and offers filters for location, rating, and price.
BookingBuddy – Allows users to compare hotel prices from multiple booking sites and offers filters for location, price, and amenities.
Agoda – A popular hotel booking site that also offers a hotel metasearch engine with filters for location, price, and rating.
