The hospitality industry was among those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotel occupancy in the United States fell to its lowest level ever in April 2020, at 24.5%. The annual average was roughly 44%, implying that more than half of the hotel rooms were vacant throughout the year.

To survive the crisis, hoteliers must take action, such as prioritizing cleaning procedures, implementing contactless technologies, and reconsidering their distribution strategy. Listing your property on Metasearch websites and investing in a marketing campaign can help you gain more visibility and direct bookings.

For quite some time, metasearch has been a growing trend in the hotel industry’s digital marketing. Metasearch advertising has grown rapidly in recent years, and it now accounts for a significant portion of many hotels’ overall revenue.

Metasearch engines are gaining ground on Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and have contributed to the evolution of the travel process. Metasearch engines are gaining popularity among travelers and hotel guests due to their objective positioning. When combined with Google’s new search and destinations features, users can find and book rooms at the best prices in minutes.

In this article, we discuss what hotel metasearch marketing is, how it works, and how you can optimize it for your hotel. Read along!

What is a Metasearch Engine?

Metasearch engines are applications that send search queries to several sources, aggregate the results, and organize them in a ranked list. The primary function of such platforms is to display the greatest number of options accessible on the market, allowing users to compare them and make an informed decision.

Basics of Metasearch Engine for Hotels

In the hospitality business, a metasearch engine means that the hotels’ inventory, pricing, and availability are collected from their own websites and/or the OTAs with whom they deal and are shown in a single location. Potential guests can easily compare costs, examine photographs, and read descriptions and reviews without having to navigate multiple travel portals.

The key advantage of working with metasearch engines for hotels and OTAs is that it enhances internet presence and consumer reach. According to the Eye for Travel report, 94% of travelers compare hotel rates using metasearch sites. Another advantage is that you will receive your guests’ contact information, which you will not receive if you book through an OTA.

Key Components of Hotel Metasearch Marketing

Hotel metasearch sites aggregate hotel room rates from many online travel agencies (OTAs) and other booking sites. Google Hotel Ads, Tripadvisor, Kayak, and Trivago are all important metasearch sites. Once on a metasearch site, a traveler can search for hotels and pricing, and the metasearch engine will show several booking possibilities in one place. When a user selects an option, they are directed to that website to finalize their booking.

Metasearch systems such as Google Hotel Ads are major opportunities for hotels since they allow potential guests to compare your hotel rates to OTAs on the Google search page. They will book straight with you if your rates are enticing enough. To compete, a hotel must have a presence in metasearch sites, which involves finding a connectivity partner that can disseminate your hotel’s rates and inventory directly to the metasearch sites.

There are three basic sorts of cost models for metasearch campaigns after your hotel is connected to metasearch engines:

• CPA or commission, when a fee or a percentage of the booking value is charged.
• CPC, in which the hotel is charged every time the ad is clicked.
• Hybrid combines the CPC and CPA models (sometimes known as targeted CPA).

Metasearch Engines vs Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

Online travel agencies (OTAs) are sometimes mistaken for hotel metasearch engines. The features may be extremely similar to a potential customer. Both allow users to check availability, pricing, property, and room details for a variety of properties in one spot. Furthermore, both emphasize the significance of customer feedback as social proof. Furthermore, companies like Kayak and Expedia serve as both OTAs and metasearch engines, so it’s no surprise that customers are perplexed.

However, there are significant differences between the two theories. To begin with, an OTA offers rooms on your behalf. Travelers purchase the room from the OTA, which receives a commission in exchange for their services. Travelers are not sold directly by hotel metasearch engines. At their most basic, they are simply information aggregators, scouring the internet and gathering data in one location.

This brings us to the second significant distinction. When a traveler is ready to book, they go to their preferred OTA – or your website – and finish the transaction. Typically, the metasearch engine will charge your hotel for each click-through to your site or completed booking. The primary opportunity for your hotel is to get direct bookings at cheaper pricing.

How Hotel Metasearch Engines Operate?

Most metasearch engines work similarly. When a user first visits the platform, he or she is asked to enter a destination and travel dates. The search results then display a list of available hotels and rates, similar to OTAs. When a potential guest clicks on a hotel, a listing appears that includes hotel information, photos, and traveler reviews, as well as rates and availability from various booking sources.

Some listings may show rates for multiple room categories, whereas others may only show the best available rate. Additional booking information, such as the cancellation policy and inclusions, such as free breakfast or Wi-Fi, may also be provided.

To make a reservation, the user should click on one of the links and be directed to the booking source. Some metasearch sites may also allow users to book a hotel without leaving the site.

OTAs such as Booking.com, Expedia, Travelocity, and Hotels.com typically dominate booking links on metasearch platforms, but other intermediaries such as Tripadvisor and KAYAK may also be listed. The only direct booking option will be represented by the hotel’s rate and a link to its website booking engine if it advertises on the metasearch website.

Benefits of Hotel Metasearch Marketing

When a user visits a metasearch website, the automated tool prompts them to enter specific information, such as destination, travel dates, and so on. Based on these parameters, the AI tool displays a list of hotels in the area, as well as rate plans and other information.

The visitor can view more information about the hotel by clicking on the desired link. You can find hotel information, a website link, available rooms, rates, photos, and guest reviews on the hotel portfolio page. Here are a few more benefits of hotel metasearch marketing:

1. Higher conversion rates

   Travelers who use metasearch engines are typically further down the booking funnel and are more likely to convert into paying guests. This is because they’ve already narrowed down their options and are actively comparing prices and amenities.

2. Increased visibility and reach

   Metasearch engines like Google Hotel Ads, Tripadvisor, Trivago, and Kayak are popular shopping destinations for travelers in the research phase of their trip planning. By listing your property on these platforms, you’ll gain exposure to a massive pool of potential travelers who are actively searching for accommodations in your area.

3. Own your guest data

   When guests book directly through your website, you capture their valuable data, such as email addresses and travel preferences. This data can be used for future marketing campaigns and to personalize the guest experience.

4. Reduced cost per acquisition

   Compared to other marketing channels, such as online travel agents (OTAs), metasearch advertising can be a more cost-effective way to acquire guests. This is because you only pay a commission when a booking is made through your website, as opposed to paying a fixed fee or percentage of the booking value every time someone clicks on your ad.

   Also, some websites may include additional information such as amenities (free Wi-Fi, swimming pool, parking, bar, and so on). It only takes a few seconds to book a room on these platforms. The visitor is directed to the booking source to make a reservation after clicking on the desired room.

Challenges and Solutions in Metasearch Marketing

It’s not always helpful to set the same method for all price comparison sites since not all metasearch works the same way. A website like TripAdvisor, for example, receives a large volume of hits since it is frequently frequented by tourists looking for a hotel in a specific location or reviews about the institution they are attempting to book. It is, therefore, advised to begin with a modest cost per click and gradually increase the bidding method until you achieve the correct balance and obtain the highest return on investment.

To help you further, here are a few more challenges and solutions that will help you optimize your metasearch marketing strategy:

1. Low Brand Recognition

   Low brand awareness is a common concern for new advertisers, and it adds to the instability we see in some advertisers’ metasearch performance. Users may have difficulty trusting small-scale or localized brands. Even if their pricing is competitive, marketers with little brand recognition may get lower traffic and CVRs when compared to big-name businesses.

   Smaller advertisers can use Google’s callout extension to stand out from the throng. This capability allows a brand-specific promotional message to be displayed on Google Hotel Ads. Users obtain a snapshot of detailed information about the company and its products when unique text advertising tailored to your clients, such as “24/7 customer service” or “best train package,” is displayed. It boosts user confidence and increases the possibility of a click.

2. Itinerary Coverage

   It is difficult to market a room that is not genuinely available, as one might think. Advertisers who do not distribute their entire schedule miss out on opportunities to target clients who are planning to book in the near future. A lack of itinerary coverage, whether owing to technical issues, a lack of availability, or oversight, reduces potential productivity.

   Advertisers should provide pricing as far ahead as possible because when Google evaluates itinerary coverage, it looks up to 365 days in the future. If the advertiser is unable to deliver rates that far in the future, it is critical to modify your bids to optimize coverage when it is available. You can change this by changing the minimum length of stay, the date of check-in, and the advanced booking time multipliers.

3. Rate Issues

   You often encounter two rate-related challenges: rate discrepancy and rate parity. Rate discrepancy occurs when the displayed auction rate differs from the actual landing page rate, leading to high clicks but low conversions as users get dissatisfied with the inaccurate price. Conversely, rate parity issues arise when uncompetitive rates result in lower conversion rates, as users typically choose the lowest price.

   These problems stem from inconsistent API performance or inaccurate data handling, impacting the success of your campaign. To address these issues, it’s crucial to regularly monitor rate discrepancy and rate parity. Design reports and bidding strategies to swiftly detect and resolve these problems. If you notice significant fluctuations in your click-through rate and conversion, it could signal rate issues. So, analyzing historical performance is key to proactively identifying and resolving these challenges.

How to Integrate Metasearch Marketing into Hotel Strategies?

Metasearch is an important channel in its own right. It’s an excellent always-on channel that doesn’t rely on third-party cookies, which will be gone by 2024. However, metasearch is most effective when utilized as part of a bigger multichannel marketing campaign.

Travelers can find your property via metasearch. If you don’t stay with them as they browse and search through different platforms and channels, you’ll lose the ultimate booking to an OTA or a rival. Use the following tactics to supplement your metasearch efforts with other channels:

• Increase your brand’s visibility to consumers looking to go to your location using programmatic display, retargeting them to stay top-of-mind, and encouraging visitors to return to your website to finish their booking.
• Use search engine marketing (SEM) to safeguard your brand from OTAs further and attract high-intent passengers searching for your resort.
• Social media can be used to target new audiences and engage them in places where people spend the majority of their time.

Best Practices for Effective Hotel Metasearch Marketing

If a hotel does not advertise on a metasearch site, a link to their website will not appear, and the user will most likely book their stay through one of the online travel agency (OTAs) or other intermediaries listed. Not only does the hotel miss out on a direct booking opportunity, but it must also pay a commission to the OTA if a booking occurs.

This is one of the primary reasons why metasearch campaigns are an important component of a well-rounded hotel marketing strategy. Now let’s discuss four ways you can optimize your hotel marketing strategy:

1. Upload Vivid Photos and Write a Detailed Description

   A picture is worth a thousand words, which is especially true in the travel sector. TripAdvisor discovered that hotel listings featuring at least one photo increased traveler engagement by 138% and booking queries by 225%.

   Visitors want to visit your property, but they also want to know where they will sleep. Booking.com recommends posting approximately 24 photos that guide guests through the journey. This includes information about your location, property, amenities, and a variety of room photographs. These photos must be professional and of good quality.

   As the pandemic winds down, consider the last time your hotel updated its meta-search photographs. Don’t forget about online travel agencies (OTAs)! Many OTAs will appear in metasearch. Thus, it’s critical to keep track of both.

   When it comes to the description, don’t leave it to the last minute. Keep your target audience in mind and consider what appeals to them the most. Display your hotel’s identity while emphasizing its most distinctive characteristics and offerings. Most importantly, keep it up to date!

2. Monitor Competitors and Analyze the Data

   It’s critical to monitor what your competitors are doing on metasearch. In the end, price is typically the deciding factor for travelers, and OTAs and metasearch enable price undercutting. There are ways to guarantee that your room rates are competitive with other listings, but it never hurts to keep an eye on what adjacent hotels do with their room rates and listings. It’s not necessarily simply metasearch channels, either. Are your rates lower than those of the OTAs listed next to it?

   Monitoring competitors will help keep you up to date on platform changes. Companies are continuously testing new features, so staying up to date with developments is critical. Because mastering metasearch is not an exact science, testing and analyzing are both essential. Don’t be scared to experiment with your marketing mix. Most hotels should be on Google, but based on performance, switching between Kayak, TripAdvisor, and Trivago can be a useful strategy. What is the one certainty? Metasearch cannot be overlooked.

3. Manage Your Online Reviews

   Keeping track of and reacting to guest evaluations across metasearch channels may appear to be a demanding chore, but there are a lot of data points that demonstrate its significance. According to TripAdvisor, 96% of its users believe that reading reviews is vital when planning and reserving hotels. That is not all. According to the same statistics, reacting to reviews was critical for hotels:

   • An impressive 85% of customers stated a thoughtful response from hotel management to a negative review enhanced their perception of the property, up from 32% in 2013.
   • When compared to a similar hotel that does not reply to traveler evaluations, 65% of consumers are more likely to book a hotel that does.

   Is there a review management strategy in place at your hotel? Reviews from OTAs frequently end up on metasearch sites, and keeping an eye on feedback on Google Hotel Ads and TripAdvisor is especially important, given the volume. By continuously checking reviews, you can ensure that your hotel promptly detects and addresses potential problems while also leaving a great impression when future guests compare hotels to plan their next trip.

4. Optimize Your Metasearch Bidding Strategy

   In the realm of hospitality marketing, there is no such thing as “set it and forget it,” and metasearch is no exception. It is critical to evaluate the performance and plan in place for your meta-search marketing activities, just as it is for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

   One of the most difficult aspects of monitoring metasearch strategies is keeping track of rate leakage. Rate leaking happens when a wholesaler receives a bundled discount on rooms and then leaks the information to other channels such as OTAs and metasearch channels. When hotels like yours are undercut, direct bookings suffer significantly.

   You may reduce the impact of rate leakage by remaining on top of your bidding strategy (or collaborating with a specialist). Google Hotel Ads, for example, provides a range of bidding options, from PPC Commissions to Enhanced CPC (Cost-per-click). These can be difficult to comprehend and manage, but with the appropriate advice, changing your hotel’s metasearch bidding strategy will allow you to stay dynamic and adapt based on current and future room rates, room availability, and other elements that change throughout the year.

Conclusion

You’re missing out if you’re not using hotel metasearch. Metasearch engines are more detailed than standard search engines, sifting through relevant resources and producing a list of the most important and relevant information. Metasearch engines for hotels can provide potential guests with a list of real-time rates, simplifying the procedure for booking and increasing the likelihood of a stay at your hotel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of metasearch marketing?

Imagine you advertise your hotel rooms on platforms like Trivago or Kayak. Travelers searching for accommodation in your area see your listing alongside rates from other booking sites. When they click on your listing, they’re directed to your website to book directly. This is an example of metasearch marketing – you’re using a metasearch engine to drive traffic and bookings towards your website.

Is Google hotel ads metasearch?

Yes! Google Hotel Ads is a prime example of a metasearch engine. It aggregates hotel listings and rates from multiple sources, allowing travelers to compare options easily. Hotels can bid on ad placements to increase their visibility on Google Hotel Ads results.

What does meta mean, hotel?

Travelers in the hotel industry can utilize metasearch websites to get real-time hotel room rates and availability in a single view. Metasearch, unlike other marketing channels, uses real pricing with a purchase path that links directly to the hotel website.

Why is a metasearch engine different?

A metasearch engine is an online portal that aggregates the web search results from many different search engines using a proprietary algorithm. Because of this, you don’t have to use each search engine separately to get the results you want.

How do metasearch engines differ from traditional online travel agencies (OTAs)?

Metasearch engines focus on comparison and referral, while OTAs are online booking platforms where travelers actually make reservations. Also, with metasearch, hotels retain control over booking experience and customer relationships. With OTAs, the traveler books directly through the OTA platform.

How can hotels get started with Metasearch Marketing?

One of the best methods to make the most of metasearch marketing is to have a smooth booking procedure on your hotel’s website. You can ensure that your guests receive the best possible rates by using a reputable booking engine.

The post What Is Hotel Metasearch Marketing & How Does It Work? appeared first on RateGain.