A new tutorial on the Google Ads YouTube channel presents simple step-by-step instructions for setting up a free hotel booking link.
This video helps Google Ads users learn how to take advantage of a feature the company has rolled out over the past year.
Google announced free hotel booking links in March 2021, expanding opportunities from small boutiques to larger chains across the country.
These listings provide free traffic directly to your website with real-time updates and availability. By adding to this link type, free booking links can be used in conjunction with hotel advertising to maximize exposure.
What is a free booking link?
Free booking link Currently displayed on Google when users search for hotel prices and availability and view details for a specific hotel.
A major benefit of these links is that they allow you to send users directly to a page of your choice.
When travelers search for a hotel in Google and click “Check Availability,” it takes them to a page that lists all the options for booking the selected hotel.
How does the free hotel booking link work?
There are some key differences between free and paid reservation links.
A hotel ad is a paid link where listings are ranked according to Google’s ad auctions and algorithms.
Free booking links are unpaid links that are ranked according to how useful they are to users.
Google sometimes shows free pre-order links next to it Paid hotel advertising.
What does a hotel ad look like?
Free booking links display similar information as paid hotel ads. They show:
- Your website name (or hotel name)
- Rates for the selected date
- Official website badge (if you are a hotel owner, direct supplier or technology provider)
Screenshot from YouTube.com/GoogleAds, January 2022.How to set up a free booking link
If you’re a Hotel Center partner, you may have shown a free booking link.
Hotels that meet the following requirements will automatically be eligible to display the free booking link:
- Existing hotel center partners
- Currently participating in hotel advertising
Any hotel with a bid, available price, and a dedicated landing page in an existing hotel campaign is eligible to show.
If you’re a hotel or hotel partner and haven’t set up a Hotel Center account, this is the first place to start. Depending on the hotel’s role, there are multiple guidelines, including:
- hotel owner
- Connect with partners
- mechanism
hotel center is the hub from which you can manage your hotel’s online presence. Hotel information and management details are confirmed through Google Business Profile.
Once this information is set up, you can choose to set up free booking links and/or run hotel ads.
If your hotel uses a reservation system, it probably connects to Google through that provider. It is best to check with the supplier to set up your free booking link.
Are vacation rentals eligible?
Individual owners of vacation rental properties are not eligible for free hotel booking links from Google Ads.
However, if you own a property management business, you may be eligible for a Hotel Center account.
Currently, the requirements for this category include:
- You must be a registered property management company
- You need to have a direct booking website, or
- Listed on booking sites integrated with Vacation Rentals on Google
For more information, see the full video from Google below:
Featured Image: PST Vector/Shutterstock
