Top ways your property can show up in GEN AI search results

January 13, 2026 by Lisa McGivney

GEN AI search, built using LLMs or large language models, is quickly becoming the new front door for travel discovery. Instead of scrolling through ten pages of links, guests are now asking GEN AI-powered search engines for personal recommendations, trip plans, and the best properties for specific needs. That shift creates both opportunity and risk for hotels and resorts. Visibility depends on clear signals, structured data, and a strong foundation that AI tools can understand.

Here is how properties can strengthen their presence across GEN AI ecosystems and increase direct bookings in a landscape where AI is becoming a primary travel advisor.

1. Start with a healthy and accessible website

Your website is the foundation of your visibility. If AI agents cannot crawl or interpret it, they cannot recommend your property.

A strong foundation includes:

Removing no follow directives that block AI crawlers.
Fixing broken links and improving internal linking so content forms a clear hierarchy.
Improving load speed, especially on mobile.

A clean, crawlable site gives LLM bots the clarity they need to understand what your property offers. This is the starting point for any hospitality marketing strategy and is still one of the most effective ways to increase direct bookings.

2. Use schema to structure your content

LLMs rely heavily on structured data markup to interpret information. Schema informs LLMs about details such as rooms, amenities, dining, FAQs, and more.

Key steps include:

Adding schema markup to high-intent pages, including rooms, dining, amenities, FAQs, and local experiences.
Ensure your hospitality marketing agency audits and maintains all structured data.

Schema markup isn’t new; it's been used to provide search engines with structured information. Schema markup’s importance is increased with LLMs and is often the single most impactful technical improvement for hotel metasearch visibility and LLM recommendations. It gives AI confidence in your content and increases the likelihood of appearing in results for hotels and resorts in your destination.

3. Local SEO (still) matters, and reviews carry more weight than ever

Because LLMs summarize information, they rarely list ten properties. They often recommend only one or two. Local SEO and reputation signals influence those recommendations. Our studies have found that Google gives preference to its own product information, notably Google Business Profile, but all GEN AI platforms we’ve studied surface information from these top listing sites.

Focus on:

Keeping NAP details consistent across every platform.
Investing in review generation and consistent review management.
Responding to reviews with clarity and care.

Reviews act as trust signals in LLM ecosystems. Properties with strong sentiment, detailed feedback, and active engagement are more likely to be recommended organically.

4. Build FAQ content that mirrors LLM query patterns

LLMs are designed to answer questions. Your content should mirror that structure.

Ways to support AI understanding:

Create a dedicated FAQ page.
Add page-specific FAQs to rooms, amenities, dining, and attractions pages.
Answer questions with simple, conversational phrasing.

Clear questions and clear answers allow AI systems to confidently incorporate your property in responses. This content also supports SEO and Google hotel ads placements.

5. Write in natural, conversational language

LLMs favor clarity and human wording over heavy marketing language. Content that sounds like a local guide performs better than content that reads like a brochure.

Enhance your content by:

Using approachable phrasing.
Incorporating question-based structures that align with real user queries.
Adding semantic clarity, such as walking distances, landmarks, and context.

This approach supports organic visibility, metasearch clarity, and the guest experience.

6. Prioritize on-page SEO and content depth

Content remains a core signal for both search engines and AI tools. Depth matters more than volume.

Strengthen your foundation with:

Clear titles and headers.
Organized page structure and scannable formatting.
Regular blog content that explains experiences, itineraries, or local insights.

Even if guests never read your blog, it fuels LLMs with the context they need to understand your property. This supports direct booking growth and enhances your digital marketing footprint.

7. Create unique destination itineraries

LLMs often generate complete trip plans. Properties that supply detailed itineraries are more likely to be included in those recommendations as cited sources.

Build 3, 5, and 7-day itineraries that cover themes such as culinary experiences, culture, outdoors, family travel, or romance. Include your property naturally within the flow of the trip. These pages do not need to drive organic traffic. They exist to train AI models on your destination expertise.

8. Use video to strengthen multimodal signals

Modern LLMs process both text and visual content. Video offers rich context that AI tools use to understand what makes your property unique.

Support AI visibility by:

Uploading and optimizing videos on YouTube. (YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine and a favorite training source for LLMs)
Including clear titles, strong descriptions, and schema markup.
Repurposing video clips within blogs and FAQs.

Video is a high-value signal source for hotel metasearch, AI recommendations, and overall hospitality marketing.

9. Participate in Reddit and social channels with purpose

Organic website content is not enough. AI tools pull signals from social channels, forums, and structured conversations across the web.

Contribute thoughtful content such as:

Q&A-style posts that answer common traveler questions.
Carousel-style explainers with practical tips.
Long form posts that link to structured, schema-rich pages.

Social engagement becomes another data source that validates your expertise.

10. Prepare for GEN AI platform advertising

GEN AI native platform advertising will rapidly reshape how guests discover hotels and resorts. Google is already commercializing AI results, and ChatGPT is expected to introduce paid placements in the next two years.

Properties with strong structured content, consistent signals, and clear data will be positioned to benefit from early adoption. This shift parallels the early days of hotel metasearch, when proactive brands gained an advantage that compounds over time.

11. Protect against OTA disintermediation

As LLMs begin offering direct booking experiences, they prefer real-time structured feeds, notably MCPs. If a hotel does not provide one, the system defaults to OTA inventory.

OTAs are already integrating with major AI platforms, and that means third parties may receive the booking opportunity before the property does. This dynamic mirrors early metasearch displacement, where a lack of structured data gave OTAs an advantage.

12. Use direct MCP feeds to reclaim visibility

Hotels can now surface their own inventory directly in LLM search results. This returns power to the property and restores opportunities to increase direct bookings.

GCommerce’s emerging MCP connectivity provides:

Real-time rates and availability.
Direct booking links.
Structured data that positions properties ahead of OTAs in AI-generated results.

If you are ready to strengthen your presence in LLM search results and position your property for the next era of discovery, our team can help. GCommerce builds the data foundation, structured content, and API connectivity that hotels and resorts need to increase direct bookings and stay visible in an AI-driven landscape.

Contact GCommerce to start the conversation and learn how your property can lead in the new world of LLM-powered travel.

How AI is changing the way guests discover and book hotels

January 5, 2026 by Scott van Hartesvelt

Navigating the new customer journey in the age of AI

A turning point for hospitality marketing

The hospitality industry has always been defined by human connection. It is a business built on relationships, experience, and trust. Yet the landscape around that human core continues to shift at a pace we have never seen before. Economic anxiety, dramatic changes in consumer behavior, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence are converging to reshape how travelers find, evaluate, and book a stay.

GCommerce founder Scott van Hartesvelt reflects on a career shaped by several eras of digital disruption and the resilience required to navigate change. Today, hoteliers face another moment of uncertainty but also another moment of opportunity.

The question is no longer whether AI will reshape the booking journey for hotels and resorts. The question is how fast it will happen and how hotels can establish an advantage while this transformation is underway.

This guide outlines what has changed, what is at stake, and what actions hotels can take today to increase direct bookings, strengthen visibility, and stay relevant as AI-powered discovery becomes the norm.

We have been here before

Every major shift in hospitality marketing has been met with uncertainty. Each one also delivered meaningful advantages for hotels and resorts that acted early.

The early 2000s

Paid search reshaped the marketing landscape. Google Ads allowed hotels to place targeted messages in front of travelers actively searching for a destination or type of stay. This was the beginning of behavioral targeting. The earliest adopters gained a performance advantage and lower acquisition costs while late adopters hesitated in the face of unfamiliar technology.

Late 2000s and early 2010s

The financial crisis created intense pressure on hotel budgets; at the same time, social platforms introduced psychographic targeting. These tools opened a new path for audience segmentation based on interests, affinities, and social patterns rather than search intent alone. Early adopters again benefited from lower costs and increased visibility.

Early 2020s

COVID created another existential shock. In parallel, significant advances in data, OTT, CTV, and micro targeting emerged. Adoption again varied. Some hotels leaned in while others pulled back.

Across each era, the adoption curve followed the same pattern: early movers gained sustained advantage while late adopters fell behind. This history matters because AI represents a disruption at a greater speed and scale than any that came before.

The new disruption facing hotels and resorts

The current environment combines two forces that make decision-making difficult for hotel leaders.

Declining confidence in financial performance

Tariffs, changes in international travel patterns, recession fears, negative RevPAR projections, and unpredictable spending behavior are creating real uncertainty for properties across the country.

A major shift in consumer behavior

Travelers are using new tools, planning differently, and engaging less with the traditional funnel. As a result, many hotels are reducing their investment in marketing. According to Gartner, hotels now allocate 8.4% of room revenue to marketing, down from 11% before the pandemic.

This is the environment in which AI adoption is accelerating.

AI adoption is moving at an unprecedented speed

Technology adoption has never moved this quickly. AI has reached ubiquity in record time.

52% of US adults now use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot.
ChatGPT has hundreds of millions of weekly active users.
All Fortune 500 companies have integrated AI into their operations.
ChatGPT reached 50 million users in 2 months, surpassing the adoption rates of television and the internet. The chart on slide 19 highlights this dramatic acceleration.

Large language model capability is doubling every four to six months, far outpacing the original innovation curve predicted by Moore’s Law. This acceleration is often referred to as Hinton’s Law, a model that reflects the compounding impact of data, algorithms, and computing power.

Travelers are not only adopting these tools; they are also using them. They are weaving them into their travel planning.

The traditional customer journey is collapsing

For more than two decades, the inspiration to booking journey has remained largely unchanged. Travelers move from inspiration to consideration, then preference, intent, and finally booking. Slide 22 illustrates this funnel.

Yet travelers no longer move through these phases in the same way.

The current state of travel planning

Travelers view an average of 141 pages of content over 45 days before booking.This should be a marketer’s dream because each page represents an opportunity for intervention. Yet customers do not enjoy the process:

56% say they feel overwhelmed by too many choices
80% say price comparisons take too long
71% worry they did not get the best deal
60% percent are dissatisfied with current planning options

This disconnect creates an opening for AI to simplify the journey.

How AI collapses the funnel

When asked directly, ChatGPT confirmed that AI assistants are already collapsing the inspiration to booking journey by helping travelers discover options, compare choices, and move toward a decision in a single conversation.

Search is moving from lists of links to direct answers
Discovery and decision now happen within one chat thread
Travelers want all-in-one planning, with ninety percent saying they prefer a single super-app that handles the full journey
Book from anywhere capabilities allow reservations to occur on platforms like Instagram or AI-powered interfaces without visiting a booking site directly

Microsoft Copilot has already integrated with major OTAs, enabling travelers to complete bookings from within a chat interface. This is no longer hypothetical. It is already in market and growing.

The real risk for hotels: disintermediation

The rise of AI-driven planning introduces an urgent risk. If travelers rely on AI systems that pull inventory from large marketplaces, OTAs once again become the default access point for customers.

ChatGPT will not process payments or operate as an OTA. Instead, it will surface deep links or API driven booking paths from partners. If hotels do not supply a direct booking endpoint, the assistant defaults to OTA inventory.

Most of the current integrations run through OTAs, not through individual property CRS systems. This recreates the same disintermediation challenge hotels faced in the early 2000s.

Properties that do nothing risk losing visibility at the earliest stage of inspiration and losing direct bookings at the point of conversion.

What hotels can do right now

The good news is that hotels can take action today. These steps strengthen visibility within AI-powered search and improve the likelihood that a property appears as an authoritative answer.

These tactics also support broader SEO performance, improve guest experience, and reinforce the property’s digital foundation.

1. Strengthen website technical health

Ensure AI bots are not blocked
Use structured, machine-readable content formats
Improve mobile friendliness and site speed
Fix 404 pages and broken links
Maintain a clear, logical site structure with internal links and updated sitemaps.

A healthy site gives AI systems confidence in the information being returned.

2. Implement schema and structured data

Schema is one of the strongest signals for answer engine optimization and large language model visibility. It helps AI interpret property attributes, room types, amenities, policies, dining, and experiences with clarity.

3. Elevate local SEO and review quality

Reviews play a critical role. AI tools use third-party sentiment to validate recommendations. Ensure listings are consistent and complete across Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and other platforms. Manage reviews with care.

4. Build robust FAQ content

LLMs respond well to question and answer structures. Add a dedicated FAQ page and embed Q&A sections on room, dining, amenity, and area pages. Mark up with FAQ schema.

5. Shift to conversational, human-centered content

Content now needs natural language, clarity, and empathy. This aligns with how travelers ask questions inside AI systems and helps the model surface the hotel as a relevant answer.

6. Strengthen on-page SEO and expand content depth

GCommerce recommends optimizing page elements, adding multi-modal formats, publishing local area content, and building itineraries. Itineraries are particularly powerful because AI uses them to support end-to-end trip planning.

7. Participate in forums and community channels

Reddit and YouTube provide rich contextual signals to AI models. Properties that participate authentically in destination-relevant conversations build authority.

8. Publish structured, answer-oriented social content

Use carousel posts, highlight local knowledge, and link back to schema-rich pages. Social content now plays a dual role: engaging consumers and supplying structured signals to AI models.

9. Strengthen PR and link building

High-quality links and mentions remain essential signals. Build presence across local organizations, publications, and affinity audiences.

10. Prepare for AI-driven advertising

Google has already announced AI Mode placements for select campaign types. The industry is moving toward commercialized AI surfaces, and hotel metasearch will likely play a larger role.

GCommerce direct inventory integration for AI systems

GCommerce has developed a breakthrough: GCommerce is now feeding direct hotel inventory into ChatGPT and other LLMs through API connected deep links via our beta.

This matters because:

It prevents defaulting to OTA inventory
It preserves control over the guest relationship
It supports direct bookings and transparency
It provides reporting on both traffic and booking behavior coming from AI channels
.

This integration represents an essential step in reclaiming visibility as AI systems become the primary path for many booking journeys. It also reinforces why hotel metasearch and Google hotel ads play an increasingly strategic role for properties and digital marketing agencies working to protect direct revenue.

AI is reshaping hospitality, but hotels still shape the guest experience

AI is not replacing the human connection that defines hospitality. It is reshaping how travelers reach you, how they evaluate choices, and where they choose to engage. For hotels and resorts, this moment requires clarity, adaptation, and the willingness to lean in while the landscape continues to shift.

The hotels that act now will strengthen their position, increase direct bookings, improve discoverability, and build resilience into their marketing ecosystem. Those that wait risk losing visibility across the earliest and most influential stage of the traveler journey.

The future of hospitality marketing is still grounded in authenticity, human experience, and thoughtful strategy. AI simply changes how we reach that moment of connection.

Join the GCommerce closed beta for direct inventory in AI systems

GCommerce is leading an industry-first initiative to connect property-level inventory directly to AI assistants like ChatGPT. This protects direct booking paths, reduces reliance on OTAs, and provides real-time insights into how AI is driving traveler behavior.

If you want your property to gain an early advantage and help shape how AI influences travel planning, join the closed beta.

Your property will be among the first in the industry to secure visibility inside AI-powered planning and booking experiences. Sign up for our beta now.

AI in hospitality marketing

October 21, 2025 by Scott van Hartesvelt

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:

I’m a marketer. The emergence of new ways to connect with customers is exciting and invigorating.
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.

#OverIt: Why hashtags aren’t what they used to be

May 20, 2025 by Jaylene Van Lin

We’ve all seen those social media posts crammed with every hashtag under the sun, desperately trying to get noticed. But do hashtags actually work anymore?

Once a staple of social media strategy, hashtags have lost much of their former power. Instagram no longer allows users to follow hashtags, TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes user behavior over metadata, and most platforms are moving toward AI-driven content discovery rather than hashtag reliance.

So what’s actually moving the needle now?

What matters more than hashtags in 2025?

Strong hooks: If your content doesn’t grab attention immediately, no hashtag will save it.
Engagement-driven content: Comments, shares, and saves hold more weight than a trending hashtag.
Algorithmic recommendations: Social platforms now surface content based on user preferences and interactions, not just hashtag metadata.

How to use hashtags in 2025

While hashtags can still serve a purpose, overusing them can make your social media posts look cluttered and unprofessional.

Messy captions: A wall of hashtags can overwhelm your message and distract from the actual content.
Spammy appearance: Excessive or irrelevant hashtags can make your brand seem desperate for attention rather than engaging organically.
Diminishing returns: Algorithms now prioritize valuable content over metadata, so stuffing posts with hashtags will not necessarily improve reach.

Should you ditch hashtags completely?

Not necessarily. While hashtags no longer guarantee reach, they still serve a purpose in niche targeting and paid media. Here’s how to use hashtags effectively:

Be strategic: Use niche, relevant hashtags to connect with specific communities rather than broad, generic ones.
Campaign-specific tags: Create unique hashtags for paid campaigns to track engagement and build a community.
Platform-specific approach: Adapt your strategy based on where you are posting. LinkedIn still benefits from hashtags, while Instagram relies more on SEO-friendly captions.
Quality over quantity: Stuffing posts with hashtags can look spammy. Stick to three to five well-chosen ones.

The future of social discovery

With AI-driven recommendations and keyword-focused searches, hashtags have shifted from being essential to optional. Instead of relying on them, focus on creating valuable, engaging content that naturally attracts attention.

Bottom line? In 2025, hashtags are no longer the key to social media success. They are just one small piece of the puzzle. Prioritize compelling content, audience engagement, and smart keyword usage to stay ahead.

Need a refreshed social media strategy? Let’s talk. Contact GCommerce Solutions today.

Summer travel trends 2025: Road trips, family time, and why closer is better

May 13, 2025 by Jaylene Van Lin

This summer, travelers are skipping the airport hustle and hitting the road instead. And honestly, we get it. With flexibility, affordability, and the freedom to explore on your own schedule, road trips are making a serious comeback in 2025. Hotels and resorts have a big opportunity to lean into this trend.

Discover how your property can leverage these 2025 summer travel trends.

Road trips are having a moment

Air travel is not going anywhere, but it is not winning any popularity contests either. Between high prices and unpredictable delays, more people are choosing to drive. Families are especially planning relaxed, personal trips where the journey is just as meaningful as the destination.

Local travel is the new luxury

Travelers are realizing they do not need to go far to feel refreshed. No-passport vacations are trending, and guests are exploring nearby towns, mountain hideaways, and unexpected gems just a short drive away. Staycations are trending, too, as travelers look for ways to recharge close to home. For hotels, that means putting extra focus on your drive market audience.

This is the season to launch campaigns that speak directly to locals and nearby guests. Think messaging like your next stay is closer than you think, or plan a getaway without going far. These are the kinds of ideas that make spontaneous bookings feel easy and attainable.

It is all about family vibes

Summer break is prime time for multigenerational travel. With kids out of school and everyone craving more quality time, families are choosing slower trips where they can really reconnect. Think campfires, ice cream, and long conversations under the stars. Those small but unforgettable moments matter.

How hotels can tap into the trends

Refresh your look for summer
Give your website and social platforms a summer glow-up. Highlight poolside scenes, shady patios, and anything that feels bright, breezy, and inviting.

Speak to the drive market
Use regional targeting in ads and email. Highlight ease of access, last-minute booking perks, and pet-friendly stays. Make it easy for nearby guests to say yes to a quick trip.

Seasonal menus matter
Light, refreshing options like smoothies, chilled drinks, and fresh local bites go a long way in helping guests feel cared for on a warm day.

Lean into nostalgia
Road trips bring out the sentimental side in all of us. Craft campaigns around memory-making, spontaneous detours, and the joy of unplugging together.

The bottom line

In 2025, guests are not just looking for a place to stay. They are looking for moments that feel meaningful and easy to reach. Hotels that create space for connection and comfort, and that speak to the power of a local adventure, will be right where travelers want to be.

Need a refreshed social media strategy? Let’s talk. Contact GCommerce Solutions today.

Google hotel ads’ sunsets commission-based bidding, now what?

April 22, 2025 by GCommerce Solutions

On February 20th, Google officially sunset its commission-based bidding strategy for Google Hotel Ads, leaving properties across the globe faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to fund their own Google Hotel Ads program or go dark and let the OTAs gobble up revenue share. What if there were a better option?

Our team dives into what hoteliers can do now that this bidding model is no longer available. Learn what this means for your property below.

Shift from commission-based to PPC models

Previously, Google Hotel Ads operated on a commission-based framework, allowing hotels to pay a percentage of bookings generated through the platform. This model was advantageous for independent hotels with limited marketing budgets, as costs were directly tied to actual bookings.

However, Google's move to a PPC model means hotels running these campaigns via Google now incur costs based on ad clicks, regardless of whether these clicks convert into bookings. This shift necessitates a more strategic approach to bidding and budget management, as ineffective campaigns can lead to increased expenses without guaranteed returns.

What to do if your property lost its commission-based hotel ads model

If your hotel recently lost the ability to utilize a pay-per-stay commission-based hotel ads campaign model, there are still options you can consider.

Option 1. Shift to budget and CPC based hotel ad campaign management

One option is shifting towards a media spend and cost-per-click campaign strategy. With this option, hoteliers are now left to fund and their campaign media budgets and shift to a cost-per-click bid strategy. This shift demands a more sophisticated and data-driven approach to ensure marketing spend translates into actual bookings. Compared to commission-based hotel ads campaign models, this option translates into more risk of spending on clicks that don’t convert if not managed properly.

Option 2: Continue to run a pay-per-stay commission model

Despite Google’s policy change, there is still an option for independent hotels looking for a hotel ads commission-based model approach. Metadesk still offers a pay-per-stay commission model, which means hotels can avoid the risks associated with PPC spending. Metadesk takes care of all the startup costs, media spend, and campaign management, ensuring that hoteliers only pay a variable commission based on actualized revenue.

For those looking for a more cost-effective solution, Metadesk’s pay-per-stay model – Metadesk Pro – offers a smart alternative that aligns marketing expenses directly with bookings.

Google's shift to a PPC model in hotel advertising presents both challenges and opportunities. Independent hotels must proactively adjust their marketing strategies to effectively navigate this new landscape.

Hoteliers can mitigate risks by adopting targeted bidding strategies, diversifying distribution channels, and enhancing direct booking capabilities and continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. Solutions like Metadesk Pro provide a viable alternative for those seeking a commission-based approach, keeping marketing costs aligned with revenue.

The good news – A CPA model is still available

Regardless of which option you choose moving forward, Metadesk can help. Ready to take action on a commission-based or pay-per-stay model? Contact the hotel metasearch management experts.