To help you decide where to list, here’s an overview of the most popular metasearch websites in the hotel industry today. Each metasearch engine has their pros and cons. It’s also important to understand that different metasearch engines have their own market shares geographically. Some small ones can work well locally and some work better on a global scale.
1. Google Hotel Ads
According to Skift, Google accounts for 67% of all metasearch spending, and that means it should be your top priority. Further, Google Hotel Ads (GHA) are integrated into Google Search results, Maps, and Google Business Profiles, providing visibility for your brand or individual hotel. Whether or not you purchase GHA, you should take advantage of the free booking links now offered by Google. Read more to find out more about Google Hotel Ads. Clear advantage of Google Hotel Ads is that you can utilize your audiences and bid differently on the ones that you prefer. Google Hotel Ads works with the same logic as other Google’s marketing channels topped up with functionalities that support hospitality business.
2. Trivago
Launched in 2005 and purchased by Expedia Group in 2012, Trivago now works with more than 180 OTAs around the world.The site offers a cost-per-click model, in which the hotel is charged the amount it bids for each click, and a cost-per-acquisition model, in which the hotel pays a predefined percentage on the value of bookings. Trivago’s bidding options are pretty much the same as Google Hotel Ads. With either model, when users click on the advertised rate they are directed to the hotel’s website to complete the booking.
While Trivago’s monthly traffic is significantly smaller than Tripadvisor and Kayak, with between 10 and 20 million visits per month, its user base is international, with about 40% of visitors based outside of the US. Trivago is growing in popularity in Scandinavian countries due to their heavy marketing efforts. Read more how to find out how to get listed on Trivago.
3. Tripadvisor
Launched in 2000, Tripadvisor is best known as a review and vacation tips platform and it is one of the original metasearch platforms. Today, it’s one of the most popular travel sites in the world and serves as an essential source of traveler reviews.
With 460 million unique monthly users, TripAdvisor is one of the most well known travel websites in the world providing guidance to travelers and a range of advertising options for accommodation providers which are:
Tripadvisor offers a number of advertising options for hotels, including its TripConnect cost-per-click program, a commission model called Instant Booking, and Sponsored Placements. Sponsored Placements are targeted ads which appear above Tripadvisor search results, on local competitors’ pages, and on other high-profile shopping pages across all devices.
Although Tripadvisor launched Instant Booking in 2014, booking activity is still relatively low on the site, and most hotels opt for the CPC model. Click here to find out more about advertising on Tripadvisor.
4. KAYAK
KAYAK is one of the original metasearch engines in the hotel industry, KAYAK was founded in 2004 and was acquired by Booking Holdings in 2013. Kayak allows travelers to search and compare prices for flights, hotels, car rentals, and packages. It’s available in 20+ languages and 60+ countries. Well, we all know it’s big and popular so let’s get straight to the point.
Read more to find out more about advertising on KAYAK.
5. Wego
Wego allows users to shop and compare flight and hotel prices from over 700 travel sites. Formerly Bezurk, Wego is an Asian answer for Google Hotels. The site operates in more than 76 countries and in over 22 languages but is most popular in the Asia Pacific and MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) regions, where it is the number one travel app for IOS and Android devices. Read more to find out how to get listed on Wego.
6. Hotelscombined
HotelsCombined is based in Sydney, Australia and aggregates room rates and review scores from various online platforms, including the main OTA’s. Hotelscombined is also especially well-known for its reach. In fact, HotelsCombined is currently available in more than 200 countries and in 40 different languages. A hotelier program also allows those in the hotel industry to manage and keep their own listing page updated. HotelsCombined is also a subsidiary of Booking Holdings.
Click here for more information about HotelsCombine
7. Skyscanner
Founded in 2003 Skyscanner became popular as a metasearch engine for flights. Skyscanner was acquired by Shanghai-based Trip.com Holdings in 2016. Today, Skyscanner is used by 100 million people per month in 52 markets and is available in over 30 languages. Launched in 2014, the Skyscanner Hotels service has grown to become a global sales platform for hotel brands and OTAs. Read more about growing visibility for your hotel integrating with Skyscanner.
Let us help you to grow your hotel visibility on metasearch
With strategic, data-informed management, metasearch engines can become a powerful distribution channel. Our recommendation is to start with the most popular ones, such as Google and Tripadvisor, and as you come up with an optimal bidding and pricing strategy, connect to other platforms to maximize your customer reach.
At Hotelboosters we can help you to build a plan on how you can grow your visibility and get more direct reservations with meta search.
