What are Google Hotel Ads’ ranking factors?
A Google Hotel Listing solely, is not enough. Since your prices are shown in your Google Business Profile, it is extremely important that these are up-to-date. Collect Google Hotel Ads reviews, for example.
In addition to an optimal Google Business Profile, there are a number of other factors that ensure that you rank well in Google Hotel Ads. Some examples:
- The degree to which the prices in the ads match the prices on your website.
- The degree of user-friendliness of your landing pages.
- Your price compared to that of your competition.
- Your bids.
- Whether you use room bundles.
- Whether you have acquired the official site badge.
- Whether you use highlight extensions.
- The amount of clicks you receive (this number tells Google how relevant your party is).
Do you want to rank higher and obtain better results using Google Hotel Ads?
Read our 11 step optimization guide for obtaining the best results with Google Hotel Ads.
What are Google Hotel Ads’ bid strategies?
What is the cost of using Google Hotel Ads? It's hard to say because these aren't the same for everyone. One very important advantage of using hotel advertisements is that you can bid through various bidding strategies.
- CPA (cost-per-acquisition) bid strategy; commission-per-stay or commission-per-conversion
- CPC (cost-per-click): manual and enhanced CPC
- CPC%: bids of which you pay a percentage of the booking price’s total
The best bidding strategy for you depends on your type of organisation. If you prefer to market at low risk (by paying a fixed percentage commission per stay/conversion) and automate bid management as much as possible, the CPA bidding strategy would be the most logical option. By opting for the commission-per-stay strategy, you only pay for a booking that has actually been processed and completed. You do not pay in the event of a cancellation.
You can influence the CPC strategies a lot and adjust your bid based on relevant company data. The better you manage your input, the better your results will be.
You can read all about the strategies in our blog about Google Hotel Ads bidding strategies.
What is the Google Hotel Center and how can you connect an API?
It is important that Google is aware of your current prices and availability so that it can show the correct data to the user/visitor. Therefore, the Hotel Center is your foundation.
The prices in your booking engine are synchronised with the Google Hotel Center via a so-called Google Hotel API (Application Programming Interface). This API ensures that your prices and availability are automatically forwarded and updated.
In the Hotel Center overview you will see a rundown of the quality of your accommodations, prices, landing pages and reports. All factors quite obviously need to be in optimal condition.
If you work with an integration partner, you will often use their hotel API. Next to that, they will manage the Hotel Center for you.
Needless to say, The Google Hotel Center is not visible to visitors who do a search.
Why use a Google Hotel Ads integration partner?
An official Google Hotel Ads integration partner, such as Adchieve, has its own Hotel Center and sends your prices fast and optimal to Google by connecting with your reservation system.
Often, you can integrate between 4-6 weeks. Customarily this process follows these three steps:
- We upload a feed with all your properties to Google, so that it is clear on which Google Business Profiles you want to advertise.
- We make a link with your reservation system (Stratech, Maxxton, Mews, Bookzo or any other system you use).
- We forward dynamic landing pages that are accurate and lead to conversions.
Our experience with thousands of accommodations, has taught us how to best optimise your Hotel Ads. If you wish, you can also use our campaign creation and bid management software for optimal input, control and results.
Adchieve is an official Google Hotel Ads partner. Learn more about the official Google Hotel Ads integration partner Adchieve.
Hotel Ads vs. Vacation Rentals
Google Travel’s ‘accomodations’ exist out of Google Hotel Ads and Vacation Rentals. To become an accomodation, you must offer short-term overnight stays to the public.
Hotel Ads
If your property has a listed Google Business Profile and provides a physical location with a continuously operating reception (and the location is open to the public at all times), Google considers the property a hotel.
To appear in Google Hotel Ads, the accommodations need to meet a number of qualifying criteria:
- In essence, the accommodation must offer a room where guests can spend the night.
- The space must have solid walls and is equipped with sanitary facilities.
- There must be a reception that is open and operating during normal business hours.
- It should be feasible to book for a minimum of 7 days/nights, preferably less.
Vacation Rentals
If you own a house, apartment, or other short-term (furnished) accommodation without a continuously operating reception or accept ‘walk-in’ reservations, it could qualify as a Vacation Rental. You can then advertise using Google Vacation Rentals.
A holiday park is therefore more likely to advertise on Google Hotel Ads and a holiday home on Vacation Rentals. Read more about Vacation Rentals here.
Hotel Ads vs. Google Ads
Google Hotel Ads is part of Google Ads. Next to Hotel Ads, Google Ads also offers Google Search Ads and Google Shopping Ads.
In the industry of hospitality, in addition to Google Hotel Ads, advertisements are often also placed on Google Search Ads.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two channels is that with Hotel Ads you cannot choose the search terms for which you want to rank. Other differences are the degree of competition, the location or placement of your ads, what you pay, the available bidding strategies, etc. For your visitors and future guests, Search Ads and Hotel Ads also look dissimilar and follow a different format.
In the table below you can see the differences at a glance:
The two channels complement each other perfectly. An important question you should ask yourself is at which moments of the customer journey of a traveller you want to be visible. For example, you often see Search Ads throughout the entire customer journey and Hotel Ads are often shown at the very end of the customer journey.
In this article you will read how to optimally use Search Ads and Hotel Ads side by side.
