A new tutorial on the Google Ads YouTube channel shows easy, step-by-step instructions for setting up free hotel booking links.
This video can help Google Ads users learn how to take advantage of a feature the company launched over the past year.
Google announced free hotel booking links in March 2021, expanding opportunities for small boutiques to large chains across the country.
These listings deliver free traffic directly to your site and provide live updates and availability. With additions to this type of link, free booking links can be used along with hotel ads to increase your exposure.
What are the free booking links?
Currently free booking links appear on Google when a user searches for hotel rates and availability and looks at the details of 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 on Google and click “check availability,” it takes them to a page that lists all the options for booking the selected hotel.
How do free hotel booking links work?
There are some major differences between free booking links and paid booking links.
The hotel ad is a paid link, the list is arranged according to the Google Ads algorithm and auction.
Free booking links are non-paid links that are ranked according to how useful they are to users.
Google sometimes displays free booking links alongside paid hotel ads.
What do hotel ads look like?
Free booking links display information similar to paid hotel ads. They offer:
- Your location name (or hotel name)
- Room rate for selected dates
- Official site badge (if you are the hotel owner, direct supplier or technology provider)
Screenshot from YouTube.com/GoogleAds, January 2022.How to set up free booking links
If you are a Hotel Center partner, you may already be showing up for free booking links.
Hotels are automatically eligible to show free booking links by meeting the following requirements:
- Existing partner in Hotel Center
- He is currently involved in hotel advertising
Any property that has a quote, available rates, and a custom landing page in existing Hotel campaigns is eligible to be shown.
If you’re a hotel or hotel partner, and you haven’t set up a Hotel Center account, this is the first place to start. There are several guides according to the role of the hotel, including:
- The owner of the hotel
- communication partner
- an agency
The center of the hotel It is the center where you can manage your property’s online presence. Hotel information and management details are confirmed by Google Business Profile.
Once this information is set up, you have the option to set up free booking links and/or display hotel ads.
If your hotel uses a reservation system, it may be connected to Google through that provider. It is best to check with your service provider to set up your own free booking links.
Are rental homes 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 qualify for a Hotel Center account.
Currently, requirements in this category include:
- It must be a registered property management company
- You must have a direct booking site on the Internet, or
- Be listed on a Vacation Rentals-integrated booking site on Google
For more information, watch the full video from Google below:
Featured image: PST Vector / Shutterstock
