Google Gets More Hotel Friendly!

Uploaded this video to YouTube. It demonstrates what we covered before on our blog. Namely how Finder 2015 is better for hotels, what it means and how you can participate. It also looks at SEO, shows how some properties are bucking the trend and how you can too. Also important to watch is the last section where we review actual cost of click advertising and how that compares to good SEO and organic search listing.




The latest version of Google's hotel finder has a few changes that can help small hotel. First it now links directly to hotels that it lists. OTA room rates for the property are still prominent for most properties, but overall the changes are a step in the right direction for local hotels who has seen their listing fall off Google in the last few years. To find out why and learn what you need to do, check out the blog at:

See the icontact notice on hotel finder

Google Moves to Dominate Hotel Metasearch - Markhat.com

Its better news for hotel marketing but not great news, They have made some significant changes to hotel ads package and hotel finder that definitely will improve direct bookings. But OTAs still dominate search. This article looks at why and what you can do about it.
http://www.marketinghotelsandtourism.com/googles-hotelfinder-to-dominate-hmetasearch

Google Opens Branded Store in London

When all stores are moving to the Internet Google has decided to test out the reverse stratgy. that says something fr good old brick and mortar stores. When you have aced the Internet it may be the only next place to go!

Google Hotel-Finder Gets a Bit More Hotel Friendly in 2015 - YouTube

http://www.markhat.com/googles-hotelfinder-to-dominate-hmetasearch/ Google got a bit more friendly to local hotels in its latest release of hotel finder. Its...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsJcEU0CQD8

Google Hotel-Finder Gets a Bit More Hotel Friendly in 2015

Travel apps not big for mobile users – Travolution.co.uk

A recent Phocuswright study has shown that Travel apps fail to grab mobile users. The study finds that more travelers prefer to browse rather than download an app. It makes sense when you consider that travelers look at 20 or more site while planning a vacation. And as they holiday just once or twice a year they simple do not want to download all those apps.
http://www.markhat.com/travel-apps-fail-to-grab-mobile-users We could see this way back in the time, when mobile first hit the pavement. We wrote about it in the Mobile Travel report saying then that travel apps have their place but browing travel websites is not where apps will shine. The real solution for mobile hotels and travel is responsive WebDesign.. See our RWD case study at http://www.slideshare.net/irclay/responsivewebdesign-boost-tourism-bookings and check out the mobilechecklist http://www.slideshare.net/irclay/mobiletravel-marketingchecklist

Hotel MobileTravel WhitePaper, CaseStudy and Marketing Tips from AXSES

Booking Flights and Hotels: Online Agents or Direct? – NYTimes.com

Its an age old battle; Direct Booking VS Agents. Now it seems Agents, especially Online Travel Agents are loosing out to airlines and other direct booking options...
http://www.markhat.com/booking-flights-and-hotels-online-agents-or-direct-nytimes-com/