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Travellers rely heavily on metasearch engines in order to get the accurate information they need to make the best decisions about their upcoming trip. In fact, the number of travellers who use these search engines is on the rise. Experts predict there could be a 40% rise in metasearch use in 2018 alone.
As a B&B operator, it’s important you understand the fundamentals of metasearch and use metasearch best practices as part of your B&B search engine optimisation and marketing strategies.
What is Metasearch?
Metasearch is essentially an individual search engine dedicated to providing individuals with specific results on an individual topic. For example, a B&B metasearch site is going to sift through the web in order to find comparative rates at various B&Bs in a given destination.
Travellers find these sites both convenient and useful, which is why they are relying more heavily on them during their online booking journey.
Best B&B SEM practices for driving bookings at your property
- Identify key metasearch engines and advertise your property accordingly
Currently, the most popular B&B metasearch sites include Kayak, TripAdvisor, Google and Trivago. These are the metasearch engines that will provide you with the most visibility, as travellers are more likely to rely on these resources versus other, lesser-known metasearch sites. Ultimately, working with the largest players in the metasearch industry will give you the most value for your investment. - Consider partnering with metasearch sites that offer instant booking
Instant booking allows users to book directly from the metasearch results page. Generally, the instant booking form is shorter and allows travellers to enjoy a seamless experience. Currently, Google and TripAdvisor offer travellers instant booking options from their search results page. - Keep your room rates consistent to maintain rankings metasearch results
Rate disparity, or the appearance that you are offering better rates through different platforms, is frowned upon by large metasearch engines, such as Google. Ultimately, you need to create a revenue management strategy that allows you to offer consistent, real-time rates to all of your distribution agents while still generating a profit for your property. - Adapt your strategy based on the metasearch site that you are working with
For example, you may want to use a PPC strategy for one metasearch engine while utilising a commission-based strategy for another. It’s important that you understand how each individual metasearch site works and how you can maximise your profitability through that specific channel.
B&B metasearch will continue to play a powerful role in your overall online visibility, so it’s important that you constantly evaluate your B&B SEO and B&B SEM strategies to make sure you are optimising this channel.
