Interest in travelling never diminishes!
It’s true the pandemic has brought a big blow to the travel industry but slowly the industry is coming back to form. 2021 was better than 2020 and so is expected down the line in 2022 and years to come.
But the question is: Are you prepared to tackle the new upcoming rush to your hotel?
The Pandemic Isn’t Permanent
Whether a brand is making profit/loss, the travel industry doesn’t sleep. Your guests might be now sleeping in their homes, but this is the best time for you to anticipate your Plan of Action to lead the market when it opens.
Though the industry was going slow Metasearch advertising started booming with Google’s entry into the Google Hotel Ads. This revamped the marketing structure for hotels and reduced dependency on OTAs. Have you included Metasearch marketing in your advertising plan and budget?
Keep reading to know how to boost your hotel’s outreach and ROI via Metasearch advertising.
What is Metasearch Engine?
Like any search engine, Metasearch Engine is the channel that presents to you results from various websites. A search engine has its own database and sends crawlers over the web the moment a user types anything on the search tab. Metasearch works similarly but it doesn’t have its own database. Metasearch sends crawlers to different websites and therefore, combines and prepares a list of the related sites from all sources. This was Metasearch vs. search engine.
Next, you need to understand that Metasearch isn’t a booking platform. It is an advertising platform that brings several hotel booking channels together bidding for a room.
In simple terms, Metasearch Engine brings you a list of websites (in this case: hotel sites/ OTAs) for the customer to browse and compare the prices of the same room on different platforms. It is the gateway to bring qualified traffic to your hotel’s website.
Why Do You Need Metasearch for Your Hotel?
With technological advancement, people are also progressing! The Internet has brought everything to their fingertips from travelling plans to hotel bookings to return journeys. So, instead of flipping through multiple OTAs, the customers prefer to have all the room rates and features listed on one platform for better decision making. This makes sites like Trivago, Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor so popular and successful in today’s time.
It only increases your visibility to the prospective travellers but only gives you the freedom to own the relationship with the guests.
Working of Metasearch for Hotels:
Witnessing the importance and the rising bookings on Metasearch platforms, Online Travel Agencies have started participating with different Metasearch providers. When a potential customer looks for a hotel on Metasearch, it shows them a list of the hotels in that location and dates with prices on several OTAs and sites at a go.
Finding the best deal, the traveller is free to click on the link they want to book from and make the booking instantly. Unlike an OTA, you cannot book directly from Metasearch and this is how it helps you own the relationship with your customers. In return, the OTA/ hotels pay the Metasearch in CPC or CPA or a referral fee.
Now, when you are up on Metasearch platforms like Trivago, Google Hotel Ads, Kayak, and TripAdvisor, the booking process wouldn’t be simpler for the prospective customers:
- A traveller searches for a hotel on a Metasearch website.
- He/ she finds a list of hotels available with real-time rates from different sites/ OTA.
- RateTiger bids on behalf of you to get your hotel on top of the list and maximum visibility.
- The traveller clicks on the link and makes a direct booking.
- Metasearch charges a fee in exchange from the hotel owner or the OTA.
Metasearch Advertising is a win-win for all – Hotel owners/ OTAs/ Metasearch websites.
All you need to do is find the right Metasearch advertising partner to invest your budget at the right place. Keeping your visibility intact, Metasearch marketing is of utmost importance to boost your hotel outreach in the time of Google Hotels Ads.
Key to Success with Metasearch
From individual hotels to big chains to OTAs, Metasearch is the apt platform to boost your reach and bookings. While hotel owners find this advertising method a bit complex, the OTAs are dominating every popular Metasearch website.
Regardless of experienced or a beginner, small or high on budget; all you need to do is strategize your marketing plan to bounce back post-Covid-19.
- Choose the Right Site
All Metasearch engines aren’t the same. Some provide better results than others. Whereas, some are used more in one location and less in the other. Choose the right platform used by your target customers.
- Join Hands with Technology
Technology is the backbone of every business. Handling another platform may be daunting for the management team. Sync the Metasearch platform to your hotel channel manager and avail seamless bookings.
- Bidding Models as per Site Demand
The one-for-all formula doesn’t work here! Read, research, experiment and modify to figure out which bidding strategy works for which website. Do not blindly follow the “Be on the top” principle. At times, targeting the 3rd or 4th position on a platform gives you a better ROI.
- Maintain Price Parity
Remember the audience is here to book a room. So, make sure to maintain price parity with your competitors to not your prospective customer to them. Again, technology can help you to compare and set the price in line with the competitor’s price.
If you aren’t on Metasearch platforms yet, it’s time to update your hotel marketing plan and includes Metasearch advertising in your POA to boost your reach.
Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of hotel online revenue- https://ratetiger.com/contact/