The ultimate hotel guide to seasonal paid search marketing

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August 18, 2025 by

Seasonal paid search marketing is a great way to meet your hotel’s shifting objectives throughout the year. However, it can also be somewhat complex, making it tricky to ensure the best outcome for campaign performance through seasonal marketing.

If you’re interested in seasonal paid search but unsure where to start, this guide is for you. We’ll answer frequently asked questions about seasonal paid search advertising and provide advice to get you started with your hotel or property.

Should my hotel use seasonal paid search advertising?

Though seasonal paid search marketing can come with a number of benefits, a seasonal ad strategy doesn’t make sense for every hotel. An occasional ad copy refresh is always a good idea, but for some hotels, the time spent on consistent seasonal updates would be better used towards other optimizations. 

Seasonally shifting demand drivers

Seasonal paid search advertising is best used when your hotel has shifting demand drivers. This could include seasonal draws such as skiing, yearly events in the area, or even amenities such as an outdoor pool. Weather and climate can also act as a seasonal demand driver. For example, tropical climates may be equally appealing year-round, but travel in a location with clear seasonal divides may see fluctuations with those weather changes.

Season-dependent hotel demand drivers

Certain hotel demand drivers can also provide a compelling reason to implement seasonal paid search advertising. Hotels prioritizing year-round outdoor adventures, for example, may want to call out the unique experiences available during each season. For a hotel located near a large arena or stadium, drawing more attention to location may be a smart move when the relevant sports are in-season. Even a shift in business mix could be a reason to add seasonal paid search advertising, gearing language more towards a business or leisure audience, depending on the month.

Booking trends don't always match demand drivers

Most hotels have slight differences in seasonal demand, but this isn’t always the result of a unique demand driver. Though booking volume often fluctuates, seasonal paid search marketing is most effective when the reasons for those bookings change. If guests are drawn to your hotel for somewhat consistent reasons throughout the year, a seasonal paid search marketing strategy may not be necessary for your hotel. 

Does my hotel need seasonal paid search marketing all year?

Deciding when to run seasonal paid search advertising comes down to your hotel’s unique demand drivers. Depending on the reasons that your guests book, your hotel may benefit from seasonal ads for a few weeks, a few months, or the entire year.

Year-round messaging for year-round demand drivers

If your hotel has ever-changing demand drivers with unique draws across all seasons, you may find success with year-round seasonal rotation. Since features vary across winter, spring, summer, and autumn, it can be beneficial to call out shifting experiences throughout the year. Hotels based on outdoor adventures are a great example of this. Winter sports, spring hikes, summer water activities, and autumn colors all have a unique draw, so individual paid search advertising for every season may be beneficial.

Seasonal messaging for peak seasons

On the other hand, hotels with demand drivers falling into one “peak” season may only need seasonal paid search advertising during that period. Ski resorts, for example, may only need seasonal callouts during the snowy months. While spring, summer, and autumn have some unique features, tailored ads might not be necessary during those times since the main seasonal demand driver is contained to the winter months.

Maintain messaging during the off-season

However, it’s important to remember that demand drivers may not completely disappear during the off-season. Though paid search advertising is most effective when focusing on demand drivers from the current season, many guests plan their stay months in advance. Because of this, it’s smart to provide some level of visibility for all seasonal demand drivers throughout the year, regardless of how often your hotel rotates dedicated seasonal messaging.

Should my hotel simultaneously run evergreen paid search advertising?

The answer to this question once again relies on your hotel’s particular demand drivers, as well as your marketing objectives. 

Performance considerations

Running simultaneous seasonal and evergreen messaging offers more to work with for paid search advertising platforms, which could help performance. A wider variety of ad copy creates more opportunities for a platform to tailor your hotel’s ads, optimizing paid search campaigns to reach your target guests. A higher number of assets could also mitigate ad fatigue, as the same copy is less likely to appear multiple times to the same user. 

However, multiple paid search ads create more moving parts in an account, potentially increasing the time required for campaign management. Balancing multiple ads can complicate your hotel’s paid search marketing strategy, sometimes making it difficult to identify key optimization tactics or diagnose performance changes down the road. 

Significance of demand drivers

Another factor in the decision to run evergreen ads is the significance of your hotel’s seasonal demand drivers. In cases where seasonal features are a core draw for your hotel, it may be beneficial to run seasonal ads exclusively. For example, if the vast majority of guests book to see a basketball team located near your hotel, abandoning evergreen ads during basketball season may be the right choice.

Conversely, if most guests book your hotel for a feature that’s available year-round, such as a downtown location or high-end service, then evergreen ads are an essential component of your paid search marketing that should not be removed. Seasonal ads are still a great way to call out additional benefits and experiences available throughout the year, but running these ads alongside evergreen messaging will ensure that seasonal callouts do not detract from the primary draws of your hotel.

How unique should seasonal paid search advertising be?

Whether seasonal paid search marketing is used alone or in tandem with evergreen ads, and regardless of how often this messaging is rotated, your hotel should aim to balance unique seasonal features with year-round benefits. Though the exact mix of these demand drivers will vary by hotel, seasonal paid search marketing should always incorporate messaging related to both types.

Multi-purpose messaging

Many features of a hotel stay the same year-round, and these can be repeated in paid search advertising throughout the year. As long as they call out a consistent benefit of the hotel, headlines and descriptions can be fully or partially re-used in evergreen ads and multiple seasonal ad variations. 

Significance of changes

Even when features change seasonally, the significance of these changes affect how different each seasonal ad should be. Some hotels require complete paid search advertising overhauls to call out unique demand drivers, while other hotels only need small tweaks and slight wording changes to fit each season. 

Structural separation

However, we do recommend structurally separating paid search advertising for each season, regardless of how similar messaging is between rotations. Creating individual ad variations keeps your paid search campaigns far more organized, making it faster and easier to implement seasonal changes, compare performance across time, and analyze the effectiveness of a seasonal paid search marketing strategy overall.

Seasonal paid search advertising examples

While seasonal paid search advertising should align with your hotel’s individual demand drivers, marketing goals, and brand voice, we know that’s easier said than done. Here are a few example ads to get you started.

Example 1: Hotel in an area known for skiing

This hotel only requires seasonal paid search advertising during the winter.

Example 2: Outdoor-focused hotel

These ads call out unique experiences available during each season.

Example 3: Downtown hotel in a city with four distinct seasons

These ads are a great example of re-using assets between seasons.

Should my hotel use paid search keywords seasonally?

Regardless of your paid search advertising strategy, it’s always a good idea to utilize keywords related to seasonal demand drivers. Targeting these keywords can boost awareness and visibility, potentially driving more bookings for your hotel. 

Unlike ads, though, seasonal paid search keywords do not need to be rotated throughout the year. Even if a keyword has low volume when out of season, this will not actively harm your hotel due to the cost per click model on paid search, though seasonal keywords may not generate as many impressions, clicks, or bookings during the off-season, your hotel will only pay for what is generated, leaving no direct impact on overall account efficiency or optimization.

In fact, seasonally rotating keywords could actually cause problems on its own. Guests often plan for seasonal trips months in advance, with seasonal searches lingering through the off-season. Because of this, removing a seasonal keyword could cause your hotel to miss out on important searches and potential bookings, negatively impacting performance.

When should my hotel rotate seasonal paid search advertising?

Because seasonal demand drivers vary so widely, your hotel’s seasonal paid search schedule will depend on your particular circumstances. While most hotel seasons can be broadly divided into winter, spring, summer, and autumn, the exact dates and time periods will change based on the area your hotel serves.

When developing a seasonal paid search marketing schedule, keep your hotel’s marketing objectives in mind. Consider the following questions:

  • Do you want your hotel’s ads to focus on immediate bookings, only running seasonal ads for currently available experiences?
  • Or do you want to include a bit of lead-up before a season, making sure to account for the guest planning period?
  • Do you want your hotel’s ads to slowly transition, using a small period of overlap between seasons?
  • Or should your hotel’s ads change suddenly, with a clear distinction between seasons?

There’s no one right answer when it comes to a seasonal paid search advertising schedule. Don’t be afraid to experiment year over year or season over season, to identify what works best for your individual hotel.

Key takeaways on seasonal paid search marketing

Seasonal paid search marketing can be incredibly beneficial, but only if it’s used right. When making decisions about seasonal advertising, always consider your hotel’s individual circumstances.

  • What are the key demand drivers for your hotel?
  • What are your marketing objectives?
  • When and why do your guests book?

Your hotel is one of a kind, and your paid search advertising should be just as unique.


To learn more about seasonal paid search marketing or get your hotel started, reach out to GCommerce today.

[Webinar recording] Breaking the ROAS trap: premium hotel market share with smarter marketing

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August 13, 2025 by

Thank you to Affixify for hosting Chris Jackson, Principal of GCommerce Solutions, on the Industry Chats to discuss “Breaking the ROAS Trap”.

In this insightful conversation, Chris dives into the critical strategies hotels and resorts should prioritize beyond just ROAS. 🤔

Is your property focusing on these signals we are seeing in the industry? 🔎

Get the full insights here.

Google Hotel Ads and AI search results

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August 12, 2025 by

The rise of AI-powered search results is changing the way that guests discover, find, and book accommodations, making it vital to understand how your hotel may appear within AI responses. 

As Google introduces more AI-based features into their search results, Google Hotel Ads continue to have an impact. Hotel metasearch has always been an important part of any hotel’s marketing strategy, but the inclusion of Google Hotel Ads within AI search results brings this importance to a whole new level. 

Non-AI search results

Google Hotel Ads are somewhat common in traditional search results, with a small selection of properties appearing under a variety of location-based searches. Organic results often include an expandable list with a map to explore further, and paid results may be featured as a carousel of properties.

Even with the rise of AI-powered results, these lists of properties continue to appear. However, they aren’t as prevalent as they used to be.

It’s still possible to see more traditional search results, with no AI Overview and a Google Hotel Ads feature at the top of the page. More commonly, though, an AI Overview will appear above these features, de-prioritizing the list format.

In some cases, an AI Overview might even replace the list-style feature altogether.

AI Overviews

AI Overviews tend to be prioritized over the traditional format for Google Hotel Ads, but that doesn’t mean metasearch is completely irrelevant to AI search results. 

AI Overviews regularly incorporate information from Google Hotel Ads including hotel name, price range, and featured offers, and may even link to metasearch listings. In the example below, information from Google Hotel Ads is present within the summaries for neighborhoods and suggested hotels.

Even better, clicking one of the neighborhood headings (such as “Back Bay”) leads to a separate search results page featuring the more traditional list of properties pulled from Google Hotel Ads.

The incorporation of Google Hotel Ads is a fairly common occurrence within AI Overviews, clearly marking this as an important source of information for Google’s AI model.

AI Mode

While AI Overviews are shown alongside traditional search results, AI Mode is an isolated experience that offers exclusively AI-powered responses. However, Google Hotel Ads are still incredibly relevant here.

Both AI Mode and AI Overviews use the same AI model to generate responses, incorporating the same data from Google Hotel Ads. AI Mode takes this a step further though, regularly including small lists of properties more akin to the traditional search features.

In this example, AI Mode generated a number of categories within the context of Boston hotels, each one including a small selection of properties sourced from Google Hotel Ads. 

Though properties from Google Hotel Ads are interspersed among other text, it’s hard to deny the prominence that these listings have within AI Mode. This is even more clear at the bottom of the response, where we found a live map with each of the locations mentioned throughout.

These lists of properties, as well as the map, are easily some of the most common features that we’ve seen while exploring AI Mode. 

Takeaways

As search results continue to evolve and AI tools become more common, Google Hotel Ads will remain a vital piece of your hotel’s marketing strategy. Both AI Overviews and AI Mode incorporate information from Google Hotel Ads while generating responses, and lists of featured properties continue to appear in results. Though the appearance of Google Hotel Ads may be changing, there’s no denying its continued relevance to the search experience.

To improve your hotel’s chances of appearing in AI search results, make sure to utilize Google Hotel Ads to its fullest potential.

  • Participate in hotel metasearch via a provider such as Metadesk to maximize Google Hotel Ads visibility. 
  • Make sure that Google Business Profile and Google Hotel Ads are well-optimized, with complete and accurate information, to build credibility within Google’s algorithm. 
  • Focus on well-structured website content and a smooth booking engine experience to reduce friction and make your site easy to use for both human users and AI models.

To learn more about Google Hotel Ads or get your hotel started, reach out to GCommerce today.

AI in hospitality marketing

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August 6, 2025 by

AI in Hospitality. There is something perverse about the machines taking over a distinctly human industry. An industry that trains human connection and thrives on lived experiences. And yet, AI is the topic de jure, and for good reason. AI, LLMs, ML, and other acronyms that held no meaning just a few short years ago are permeating our industry and threatening, or maybe offering, to upend how guests experience our hospitality.  

In our work at GCommerce, AI has evolved from being an unknown to a curiosity to being the single most discussed topic with our clients. Yet, there is no topic with more divergent opinions. I often ask audiences to rank their sentiment about AI on a scale from apprehension to excitement. Apprehension always wins out. So, what do we do as an industry, as a property, or as an individual in the face of this emerging technology? Are we bound to lose our jobs, or our souls, to the machines?

In this article, I’ll outline the current state of AI hospitality marketing.  I’ll discuss current, proven tactics for maximizing performance and outline why LLMs have introduced new barriers to insight and audience engagement. Then, I’ll look to the future.  What can we expect from AI in the next 3 - 5 years? How will our industry change, and what can we do to remain competitive? Finally, I’ll leave you with some perspective, and a reminder that ours is still a human endeavor.  

AI in hospitality marketing is here to stay

I started GCommerce in 2002, and over the last 23 years, there have been notable and significant moments of disruption. Twenty-three years ago, a vocal minority of intransigent hoteliers argued that most people would never use their credit cards to make online purchases.  In the following years, some argued that ad networks would be less effective than direct media buys, or that social media was a passing trend and not worthy of our attention.  In each case, the emergent technology became dominant, and even the most strident naysayers were forced to evolve. Which brings us to today.

AI is here to stay.  It can’t be legislated or managed away. The statistics on AI adoption leave no doubt; 43% of consumers now report using AI daily. Consumers and businesses alike are hooked, and it’s our job to meet them where we are.  Or better yet, already be there when they arrive. To do so, we can’t simply “accept AI” and start a slow process of adoption. Advancements are happening too quickly.  

Moore’s Law was famous for stating in 1975 that microprocessor power would double every two years…a statement that at the time seemed unimaginable. AI processing power is now doubling every seven months. That fact alone should scare you and compel you to take action. The bleeding edge of advancement today will be old news tomorrow. But there’s gold in the hills of innovation, and if you get there first, you can start to mine that value before your competitors arrive. 

Brief summary of the current state of play

Travelers’ adoption of LLMs will change the landscape of hospitality digital marketing. Unlike previous emerging technologies in travel, there is no clear path to improved performance through ad placements.  When Google launched, it was quickly accompanied by Google Ads. Facebook started as a novelty, but quickly evolved into a powerful marketing tool with the launch of its advertising platform. Even OTAs provided a clear path to monetization…pay the toll.  

Today’s dominant LLMs don’t offer advertising models. Their “answers” often reference our hotels, or competitor hotels, but their methodology for ranking those choices is not published, and the techniques to improve visibility continue to shift. 

The most vexing issue is that LLMs rarely direct visitors to a hotel’s website or social media channels, and they offer little to no internal reporting. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other LLMs are the most important emergent channels in a generation, and we’re all flying blind.  

I firmly believe that this reality will soon change; that marketers and business owners will have access to better tracking of AI’s impact on their customer journey. However, at this particular moment in time, we are left to review reputable consumer studies, do our own research, and focus on the essential elements that we know will drive performance.

GCommerce has conducted significant research across our portfolio. We’ve tested AI techniques, measured outcomes, ideated on new strategies, and coalesced around a long list of best practices.  I encourage you to review our content…it’s free and it’s damn good.  

AI marketing optimization starts now

If we agree that travelers are using AI to dream about and plan their travel, but advertising on those channels is not available, is it possible to improve our visibility?  

The simple answer is yes.  

Thanks to our ongoing studies, combined with those of reputable third parties, we have identified specific techniques that significantly impact AI visibility. For the purpose of this article, I’ll provide an abbreviated list of tactics; however, I encourage you to visit our insights page for more in-depth information.

  • Conversational content - Create content that answers questions more comprehensively and naturally.  Examples of this type of content includes guides on amenities, nearby attractions, or the history of your property.
  • Social media content - Frequent posting, proper linking, and comment responses all impact a hotel’s relevance to LLMs.
  • Local SEO - LLMs frequently reference local listing data on sites like Google My Business, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Bing Places.  Manage your listing with care, and at a minimum, ensure that your name, address, phone number, and website are accurate and consistent. 
  • Review management - Reviews play a consistent role in AI placement.  More positive reviews lead to more visibility.  Better yet, responses to reviews has a real impact on LLM visibility.
  • Schema - LLMs love structured data and content.  Use Schema.org’s structured data markup for applicable information on your website.
  • PR for the win - Brand strength and brand mentions are back.  They continue to be referenced in studies as important in LLM rankings.  Beyond working with a PR firm to secure brand mentions in high-profile publications, consider listing with your Chamber of Commerce, partnering with local organizations, and engaging bloggers for third-party mentions. 
  • Reddit - Reddit continues to be overindexed in LLM rankings, yet most hotels do not participate on the channel.  Reddit offers organic opportunities to insert your property into a conversation, and relatively inexpensive paid opportunities to further appeal to the Reddit community. 


Consider these tactics to be foundational.  Not only will they have an impact on your visibility on LLMs today, they’ll position you for future innovations.  

Near-future AI applications for travel marketing

Innovation often chases consumer sentiment, especially when the incentives are high. The travel industry offers $648b per year in incentives, quite the table stakes to encourage innovation. Couple that with the fact that consumers are clamoring for change…in a recent survey by Accenture, 66% report being dissatisfied with the planning options available today. Our industry is closing in on $1 trillion per year in revenue, and ⅔ of our customers hate buying from us. Unsustainable.   

As such, I expect the travel marketing and distribution landscape to undergo the most disruptive half-decade of change in our lifetime.  

Transformation will come in many forms; some unimaginable and some obvious. I’ll stay grounded for the purpose of this article and highlight three seemingly obvious developments.

1. How data will help you win with AI

GCommerce has evolved into a Hospitality Data Platform thanks to our proprietary process to extract, optimize, and then utilize performance marketing data in real time. To loosely quote Wu-Tang…data rules everything around us. And yet, when it comes to the impact of LLMs on the traveler journey, we lack reliable data and insights. That’s going to change in the not-so-distant future.  

First, I expect that the platforms themselves will begin offering insight into brand visibility as a precursor to the rollout of an advertising model.  For example, Google recently launched “Google AI Mode”, their new answer engine that uses Gemini and a more conversational approach. Traffic, impressions, and position from AI Mode have already been incorporated into Google Search Console, though they are lumped together with organic results with no way to differentiate. We hope that will change in the coming months.  It’s no surprise that Google is the first LLM-powered platform to provide access to data, but expect the rest to follow suit soon.

Second, the search industry has long benefited from third-party reporting platforms like SEMRush and Ahrefs.  They have long made a living measuring visibility and impact from digital channels. As traditional traffic sources cede ground to AI, I expect these platforms will innovate. They have the size, scale, and engineering talent to solve this massive data problem on behalf of their customers.  

As more data becomes available, expect our understanding of the traditional customer journey to evolve. AI will play a role, but so too will existing channels. A comprehensive and data-driven view of the customer journey will uncover opportunities that the less-informed will miss.  

2. Paying for visibility on AI search

Is there a way to advertise on ChatGPT? Can a hotel utilize sophisticated audience targeting, similar to what is available on other platforms, to identify high-intent travelers at the exact moment with the right message? The simple answer is no, at least not yet.

The dominant platforms of our time, Google and Meta, have used sophisticated advertising platforms to monetize their traffic. It’s easy to imagine ChatGPT and other platforms doing the same. However, building an ad platform that provides advertisers with the types of audience targeting, tracking, and management tools they expect is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. 

For example, consider Google Hotel Ads.  Not only does the platform provide real utility to the user, but it is chock-full of hard-to-duplicate features for the hotel. They list live availability, rates, and inventory, which means that they have taken the time to map and build connectivity with our industry’s painfully fragmented ecosystem. They’ve learned how consumers shop specifically for travel, and provided the type of user and advertiser experience that caters to that behavior.  NOT easy to replicate, which is why I consider Google to be one of the two mature and ubiquitous advertising platforms. While not a certainty, I believe that emerging AI platforms, including ChatGPT, will decide that the shortest path to monetization is to partner with one (or both) of the existing platforms.  

As AI advertising opportunities become available, we’ll encourage hotels to be early adopters. When Google Ads launched, they were comparatively inexpensive before mass adoption drove up prices. The same was true for social media advertising.  I expect the same dynamic will play out with AI advertising.

3. Travel SuperApp

As previously mentioned, our customers view the current travel planning process as tragically flawed.  It's time-consuming, stressful, and fragmented. Consumers want a simpler and more personalized experience.  In fact, 61% of consumers say personalized travel recommendations are somewhat or very important, with only 7% saying that they are not important. Cue the AI-powered travel Super App.

Deep in the Accenture study was a statistic that took my breath away: 

“An overwhelming majority (97%) of travelers want a travel 'superapp.” They want something that will offer one-stop, integrated access to a whole range of travel-related services, including personalized, inspirational destination ideas, flights, dining, and everything in between.”

The company that creates and truly delivers on this promise will change the travel landscape forever.  

Conclusion

Two passions comprise my professional identity:  

  1. I’m a marketer. The emergence of new ways to connect with customers is exciting and invigorating.  
  2. I’m a lifelong advocate for hospitality. I believe in the transformative power of humanity in our industry.  

In practice, one cannot replace one with the other. No AI can provide a knowing and friendly smile to travel-weary parents as they check in for their family’s annual vacation pilgrimage. No AI can truly capture the stories and experiences that make a hotel special. However, AI can change the ways in which our customers dream about, plan, and purchase their travel. As such, it can change our behavior as marketers, helping us eliminate waste and focus our efforts.  

Maybe, then, AI can help us eliminate our most impersonal and unemotional tasks and bring us closer to our true purpose in this industry. Serving our guests with genuine hospitality.

Why are reviews and ratings important for hotel metasearch?

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July 28, 2025 by

Reviews and ratings are pivotal in determining a hotel's reputation and visibility on hotel metasearch platforms like Google and TripAdvisor. These elements are key indicators for search engines and potential customers, influencing rankings and booking decisions. Here's why they matter:

The bottom of the sales funnel

Hotel metasearch is positioned at the bottom of the sales funnel, meaning it’s often the final step before a guest makes a booking. At this stage, potential customers rely on reviews and ratings to decide. For many, this is the last chance to evaluate a property before committing. Ensuring that your hotel is presented in the best possible light is crucial for securing these bookings.

The foundation of trust and transparency

Search engines like Google weigh reviews as critical metrics to assess a property's reputation and user experience. While some platforms prioritize these metrics more than others, all incorporate reviews into their ranking algorithms. This makes them essential for every property listed on hotel metasearch platforms.

  • For customers: Reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile (GMB), TripAdvisor, or others provide consumers with valuable insights into what they can expect from a hotel. Guests can identify highlights such as excellent service, exceptional food and beverage offerings, personalized experiences, or prime locations. Conversely, reviews also expose areas that need improvement, such as cleanliness, front desk efficiency, or the condition of facilities.
  • For search engines: Google prioritizes recent reviews, giving greater weight to feedback from the last 6-12 months over older reviews. This constant influx of reviews impacts not only organic search rankings but also paid search and metasearch performance.
  • For AI search (i.e. ChatGPT, AI Mode) - LLM’s consume and source answer summaries from structured sources, including reviews. Continue to focus on getting more guest reviews and addressing operational issues commonly called out to improve review ratings and have a positive impact on your hotel’s visibility in AI search platforms.
  • Guest interaction matters: How a property responds to reviews—whether positive or negative—plays a significant role in how it is perceived. Responding thoughtfully demonstrates that the property values guest feedback and is committed to resolving issues, further boosting credibility.

Platform-specific policies: While Google Business Profile allows some reviews to be flagged and potentially removed—such as those left mistakenly or unfairly—TripAdvisor does not permit review removal, regardless of circumstances. This reinforces the need to actively manage your property’s reputation and address guest concerns promptly.

The snapshot of satisfaction

Ratings, often displayed as a numerical score (e.g., 4.5 out of 5), are just as critical as detailed written reviews. A higher rating signals better guest satisfaction and directly influences booking decisions.

  • Attracting guests: Properties with higher ratings are more likely to secure bookings than lower-rated competitors. Ratings provide a quick, visual summary of guest experiences, offering an immediate impression of quality.
  • Customer loyalty: Higher ratings suggest positive guest interactions, increasing the likelihood of repeat visits and word-of-mouth recommendations.

Platforms and their unique metrics

While Google may incorporate additional data points beyond reviews and ratings, TripAdvisor relies heavily on these factors to determine property rankings. This underscores the importance of maintaining accurate and appealing profiles across all platforms.

Best practices for optimizing reviews and ratings

  1. Keep listings accurate: Ensure your property details—address, phone number, and images—are correct and up-to-date across all platforms. High-resolution, professional photos alongside authentic guest-generated images contribute to trustworthiness.
  2. Manage reviews proactively:
    • Address guest feedback promptly, whether positive or negative.
    • Flag inappropriate reviews on Google if they were left mistakenly, pertain to a different property, or reflect outdated experiences (e.g., pre-renovation or ownership change). Note that TripAdvisor does not allow reviews to be removed under any circumstances.
  3. Optimize hotel metasearch campaigns: Provide accurate data, including room rates and availability, to ensure your property performs well in metasearch auctions.

In the competitive hotel metasearch landscape, reviews and ratings are more than just numbers—they are powerful tools that reflect the quality of your property and influence its online visibility. At the bottom of the sales funnel, metasearch platforms are where guests make their final booking decisions.

By managing reviews and ratings effectively, keeping your listings current, and presenting your property in the best light, you can attract more bookings and succeed in your hotel metasearch campaigns.

Want to take your hotel metasearch to the next level? Contact the experts at Metadesk today.

What is CTV advertising and why does your hotel need it?

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July 16, 2025 by

​In the rapidly evolving landscape of hotel digital marketing, Connected TV (CTV) advertising has emerged as a powerful tool for hotels aiming to enhance their brand visibility and attract discerning travelers. By leveraging CTV ads, hotels can deliver personalized, engaging content directly to potential guests through internet-connected television devices–think about the ads you see while streaming Hulu or other ad-powered streaming platforms.

So - what are some of the benefits of using CTV ads for hotels, and how do you know if it’s right for your brand? Let’s get into it.

What is Connected TV (CTV) advertising for hotels?

To start with the basics, Connected TV simply refers to television sets that are connected to the internet, enabling viewers to stream content via applications on smart TVs, gaming consoles, or external devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Unlike traditional linear TV, where content is broadcast according to a set schedule, CTV allows users to access on-demand content at their convenience. This shift in viewing habits has opened new avenues for advertisers to reach audiences in a more targeted and interactive manner than ever before.

Benefits of CTV advertising for hotels

Running CTV ads programmatically will require the use of a Demand-Side Platform, or DSP for short. DSPs are software systems that allow advertisers to buy and manage automated digital ad inventory across multiple exchanges through real-time bidding. While there are many DSPs out there that specialize in CTV, we partner with Google Marketing Platform to run CTV ads through Display & Video 360. With this outlet, we are able to offer a variety of benefits for hoteliers when it comes to running CTV ads through the vast available inventory options.

1. Precise audience targeting

CTV advertising enables hotels to utilize advanced data analytics to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. This precision ensures that marketing messages reach potential guests who are most likely to be interested in the hotel's offerings, thereby increasing the efficiency of advertising spending. For instance, we can tailor your ads towards inventory more specific to your brand, whether it be on specific streaming channels or utilizing specific household incomes and buying behaviors. Hotels using specific travel-intent data through Adara or leveraging their comp set’s data with Azira will also enjoy additional targeting layers to hit even more precise and qualified audiences.

2. Enhanced engagement through visual storytelling

CTV advertising provides a dynamic platform for hotels to weave compelling narratives and showcase their unique offerings through captivating visuals that resonate with viewers on a visceral level. It’s important to note that your visual assets are designed with commercial aspects in mind; think professionally shot and edited. By immersing guests in a visual journey, hotels can evoke emotions, stir desires, and inspire travelers to explore more on their adventures. ​

3. Integration with your hotel’s digital marketing strategies

CTV advertising can be seamlessly integrated with your hotel's broader digital marketing efforts, creating a cohesive brand presence. For example, viewers who see a CTV hotel ad can be retargeted with related content through programmatic display banner ads, reinforcing the message and guiding potential guests through the booking funnel. ​

4. Access to premium TV content platforms

Recent CTV technology advancements have expanded opportunities for hotels to advertise on premium TV streaming content platforms. For instance, integrations with services like Netflix allow marketers to reach highly engaged audiences within a premium streaming environment. This access enhances the credibility and appeal of your hotel's advertising efforts.

What are the latest advancements in CTV advertising for hotels?

Recently, Google Marketing Platform (GMP) has introduced several innovations that enhance CTV advertising capabilities for hotels:​

  • CM360 + Netflix Ads integration: This integration streamlines ad serving and reporting, enabling marketers to reach Netflix's extensive subscriber base with contextual ads that align with viewer preferences.
  • Cross-media reach reporting: Campaign Manager 360 now offers reports that provide a unified view of reach across digital video and linear TV campaigns. This feature helps us better understand audience overlap and optimize our media strategies accordingly.
  • DV360 + Disney live sports and entertainment: Display & Video 360's certification with Disney allows for real-time bidding on live sports inventory, offering access to highly engaged audiences during major events.

Is Connected TV advertising right for your hotel?

While CTV is an incredibly beneficial tool for building brand engagement and awareness, it might not be right for all hotels. First and foremost, you must have the right creative assets. You’ll need professionally edited videos that are 15-30 seconds in length (think TV commercials). For many, this cost alone can be a barrier to entry.

Another thing to consider is the overall cost to run CTV advertising media. CTV ad types are much more expensive than regular display advertising, with CPMs averaging anywhere from $25-35. For this reason, GCommerce requires a $5K per month per campaign minimum to run CTV ads, but strongly recommends at least $10K per month to increase visibility and open the door to more targeting options and A/B test opportunities.

However, if your hotel has the opportunity to fund this initiative, the payoff is worth it. CTV is an ideal outlet for those looking to expand their brand into new markets and directly into the homes of prospective guests. It’s an incredibly powerful brand awareness tool and offers an easy entrance into a previously unattainable linear TV ad inventory type. On average, clients see a 98-99% video completion rate, with one current client seeing nearly 1 million users watch their video in full during a 90-day period. 

Moving forward with CTV hotel ads

As the hospitality industry becomes increasingly competitive, hotels must adopt innovative marketing strategies to stand out. By leveraging the latest advancements in CTV technology and integrating these efforts with broader digital marketing initiatives, hotels can create compelling campaigns that resonate with modern travelers and drive bookings. Connect with the experts at GCommerce to get started today.

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