What are Google Free Hotel Booking Links?
Since March 2021, when a traveller searches for accommodation on specific dates and then clicks on a hotel in the booking module - which appears in the right-hand window of Google search - a new insert has appeared below the traditional Google Hotel Ads: the free Google booking linksor Google Free Hotel Booking LinksThese are not charged per click by Google. They can be accessed via the Google Hotels interface, which itself can be accessed by clicking on the big blue "Book" button, or "Check rates", or "Show other rates". These links will be displayed in addition to the advertising spaces (which are billed to advertisers on a per-click basis).
The different products Google for hotels
The interface Google Hotels
How to activate Google's free booking links
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Take advantage of free 100% bookings
Optimise your visibility with Google Free Booking Links
The Google Free Booking Links - Free Hotel Booking Links are specifically designed for hotels, B&Bs and B&Bs working with Google Hotel Center partner agencies such as Hotel Web Design. Creating these free links involves transferring your establishment's rates, availability and offers to Google in real time, guaranteeing optimum visibility. However, this requires specific technical skills and is not something that hoteliers can do on their own - at least for the time being.
How can I benefit from Free Booking Links?
Contrary to popular belief, these links are not just for Google Hotel Ads or campaign. You can take advantage of this without being a Google customer. All you need to do is contact us so that we can connect your establishment to Google and synchronise your rates. It doesn't matter whether you're already a customer or not, or whether you're a channel manager or not. booking engine that you use, we are able to manage this synchronisation so that you can benefit from Free Hotel Booking Links.
Display and Ranking Criteria on Google
Once your rates and availability have been synchronised with Google, the search engine will display your establishment in the results according to its algorithm. Several criteria influence the position of your establishment, including :
- The accuracy of the rates quoted by the partner agency
- The quality of the website to which the links refer
- The click-through rate (CTR), i.e. the ratio between the number of clicks on a link and the total number of times that link is displayed.
This means that your establishment can appear in the Google Free Booking Links for searches for overnight stays at different geographical levels (town, department, region) and for specific searches for your brand name. Naturally, the more geographically extensive the search, the more difficult it becomes to position yourself free of charge at the top of the results. That's where Google Hotel Ads campaigns come in.
Opt for a Hybrid Strategy
The Google Free Booking Links and Google Hotel Ads are managed via a common interface, it's easy to switch to a hybrid strategy. This maximises your visibility while keeping your advertising costs under control. Thanks to this flexibility, you can adjust your visibility strategy according to your objectives and budgets.
Hotel Web Design is the web agency 100% dedicated to the hotel industryWe can help you with all aspects of digital communication for your accommodation: booking websites, natural referencing specialising in the hotel industry, Google Ads referencing and Google Hotel Ads, social networking campaigns, graphic charters and logos for hotels.
Make an appointment today for free advice on how to optimise the digital management of your accommodation.
It's safe to say that Google has taken everyone by surprise by introducing free booking links. Does this move echo the recent legal sanctions imposed on the digital giant in Europe for its anti-competitive practices? The $1.4 billion fine imposed on Google specifically concerned the way in which the company promoted certain partners on its platform. This court decision was handed down just one year before the announcement of the Google Hotel Free Booking Links.
Google's real motives behind these links free of charge remain uncertain, but several hypotheses are conceivable:
- To restore its image with the European authorities and consumers, after accumulating nearly €8.25 billion in fines in Europe over a decade.
- Encourage hoteliers to adopt its new dedicated platform. The transition between Google Free Hotel Booking Links and Google Hotel Ads campaigns is easy, as the two systems share the same user interface.
The future of Google Free Hotel Booking Links
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Google's strategy behind free booking links
Among our Google customers & free booking links
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