The New Feature Hoteliers Can’t Afford to Ignore
Google has long been a leader in the world of search engines and only a foolish brand would ignore the power that Google wield. The truth of the matter is that although there are a number of ways to connect with potential customers such as social media channels and direct marketing, having a place on the first page of search engine results is a key way to bringing in direct bookings for your hotel.
Google have long been offering hotels the chance to appear in their ‘local listings’ in some variety; there was Carousel which was then replaced by a 7-pack and now we are, at present time, being offered a 3-pack which features two organic results and one paid for ad.
Of course this has significant ramifications for hotel companies as those who have worked hard on their hotel digital marketing in order to secure a place within the 3-pack could now potentially be ousted by brands who would rather just pay for the privilege rather than achieve it organically but it is still worth knowing what the changes could mean for your hotel company so that you can adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.
The first major change will you will note is that results were previously displayed in groups of 5 and 7 so even if your hotel wasn’t strong on SEO results, you still had a good chance of appearing in the listing. With a 3-pack listing, and only 2 of those being organic it means that you will now have to ensure your SEO is strong to stand a chance of being on that first page of results. The results do appear to be in a rotation so there is a chance that your hotel will appear but it can’t be guaranteed so should not be relied upon as a major way to increase direct bookings.
If a potential client clicks onto your hotel name then they will be taken to a small card which is where you can offer an insight into the facilities you offer and provide a snapshot of why a customer should choose you. Ensure that this is well fleshed out; people are more likely to click through to gain further information about pricing then if they are only offered one line about your hotel.
Google will also now display just your hotel name, your star rating (as given by reviews provided to Google) and the rating of your hotel. It will not display your physical address or contact information. This means that if a customer wants to discover more about your exact location or what you can offer, they have to click through to do so. Whilst this should technically offer you a boost in website traffic, you need to make sure that your website is fully optimised for all devices and that relevant information is clearly displayed. Clients will not want to spend more than a few seconds scanning for the information they are after so make sure it is all clearly visible.7
Whilst we can’t guarantee that Google won’t change the local listings yet again, for now make sure that you adjust your marketing strategy to reflect and incorporate the impact of these changes.