3 Underutilized Google Ads Optimization Tips For Hotels
The number one rule of search marketing is to never stop testing. You never know where you’ll find the next golden goose, so it’s important to try new things and reach outside of your comfort zone. GCommerce Solutions knows this, and we’re not afraid to experiment with lesser-known optimization methods to make sure we’re achieving the best possible results.
Below, we’ve compiled test data for 3 often underutilized Google Ads optimization techniques. These tests were conducted over 2-3 months each, using data from 9 boutique hotels spread across the United States.
Implement A Paid Search Ad Schedule
Consumers don’t interact with your business the same way all the time, so it’s a good idea to tailor your hotel’s paid search ads to your audience’s schedule.
While the data below measures account-level changes, paid search ad schedules work best when tailored to an individual campaign’s performance. This is how paid search ad schedules were implemented for these 3 hotels:
Branded Terms:
+10% bid adjustment on days/times with high conversions
-50% bid adjustment on days/times with low clicks and low conversions
0% bid adjustment on all other times, so ads always have the potential to serve
Non-Branded Terms:
+10% bid adjustment on days/times with high clicks/impressions
-50% bid adjustment on days/times with high average CPCs but low clicks and low impressions
0% bid adjustment on all other times, so ads always have the potential to serve
Percent Change By Paid Search KPI:
Account-Level, Period Over Period
Overall Paid Search Ad Schedule Results:
All Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) saw an average increase in performance.
Conclusion:
Regardless of your hotel’s marketing goals, an ad schedule can be a helpful addition to your Google Ads campaigns. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort to create and monitor an ad schedule based on individual campaign performance, this is a great way to give your KPIs a boost.
Keyword Optimize Your Paid Search Ad Paths
Ad paths are an often overlooked part of paid search marketing, but it’s worth taking the extra step to optimize them and make your ads more relevant.
Paid search ad paths show up as part of the display URL of an ad. In this example, “hotel” is display path 1 and “digital-ads” is display path 2.
This test was performed using single keyword ad groups. Every single ad in the account received optimized ad paths based on the ad group’s associated keyword.
Percent Change By Paid Search KPI:
Account-Level, Period Over Period
Overall Keyword Optimized Paid Search Ad Paths Results:
All KPIs saw an average increase or no significant change in performance.
Conclusion:
This is another helpful optimization tip for various paid search account goals, and requires far less maintenance than an ad schedule. Editing ad paths can be tedious, but it’s worth using every single inch of space you’re given to optimize performance. Just be sure to keep up with paths, adjusting as needed when creating new ads or copying existing assets.
Don’t Neglect Negative Keyword Research
Positive keywords can help you reach new people, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be new customers. Negative keyword research is an effective safeguard to ensure you’re not putting paid search budget towards the wrong audience.
This test included generalized keywords like “X Rated” and “Apartment,” as well as hotel-specific keywords such as competitor names and inaccurate locations. Every negative keyword was added with an “Exact” match type.
Percent Change By Paid Search KPI:
Account-Level, Period Over Period
Overall Negative Keyword Research Results:
Raw actions and revenue saw an average decrease in performance, but interaction rate and comparative revenue saw an average increase.
Conclusion:
Depending on your goals, well-thought-out negative keyword research can be incredibly effective for paid search campaigns. By design, negative keywords decrease the visibility of your ads, so they can lead to less overall traffic. However, this traffic is often very qualified, and will interact with your business at a higher rate to maximize your account budget.
Key Takeaways
There are so many available paid search optimization tools, and it’s a shame to see them go to waste. If you’re willing to put in the work, the above Google Ads optimization tips are likely to work in your favor, despite their somewhat uncommon utilization. Results are never guaranteed, but tailoring these changes to specific campaign performance is a great opportunity to push your KPIs in the right direction.
If you’re interested in learning more about paid search for hotels, check out the rest of our digital marketing blog or contact us below.
