First, there was Google search, then Google maps, and Google flights now Google’s hotel search product is aiming to take on other hotel booking sites and disrupt the online travel agency model. With flights and core search Google is already a travel industry leader.
Google already has tons of data on hotel prices, travel dates, and guest ratings through its scrapers which is making it incredibly difficult for firms like Booking.com to compete (especially since Google is a key channel partner). Meet tomorrow’s guests on Google Hotels today!
As Google takes on the OTAs head-to-head, hotels benefit from a significant new distribution channel which (alongside Airbnb) is a major shift in industry dynamics. It’s a game-changer and hoteliers need to understand how Google works to adapt their distribution strategies accordingly. Here’s what you need to know about Google Travel, and what it means for your hotel’s business in the months ahead. Armed with this information, you’ll be more prepared to make your assessment of Google’s impact on your own business.
The Ads and the free booking links are shown to visitors on Google Search and Maps result pages when the user makes a travel-related search query like hotels in New York or eco-friendly hotels in Finland.
We will first work with you to set up connectivity between your hotel booking engine and Google’s hotel availability, rate, and inventory feed. The key information we need from you is:
We first launch the campaign on a low-risk strategy to collect valuable data. After a few weeks, we will begin to strategically optimize the campaign by bidding more for higher converting audiences or users from different regions just by example.
Our ongoing work also includes:
We will provide you with a monthly report to inform you of how your campaign has performed and outline the strategy for the following month. The report will include the following information:
With the vast majority of searches taking place on Google, you must appear wherever the OTA’s are to help drive direct bookings. Some benefits of GHA are as follows:
