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Competition in the hospitality industry only continues to grow, with various hotels offering customers different amenities and promos. In fact, a few challenges hotels face are third-party booking platforms with high commission fees. With that, hoteliers should properly strategise their marketing efforts to stand out from others and encourage direct bookings. To learn more about the impact of Pay-Per-Click or PPC marketing in Sydney on direct bookings, read the article below!
Importance of Direct Bookings for Sydney Hotels
Direct bookings offer hoteliers various benefits, including increased revenue, customer data control, and a better guest experience overall. Also, did you know that third-party platforms have commissions of 15-25%? Through these marketing processes, establishments can eliminate third-party fees by allowing guests to book directly.
The good thing is that these bookings can be an avenue for hotels and guests to build strong relationships. Direct communication opens the doors for upselling and boosting loyalty. It allows you to personalise guest experiences from the get-go.
By maximising direct bookings, hotels can also maintain control over messaging, promotions, and guest interactions. Plus, it promotes brand loyalty rather than guests’ favour of third-party booking platforms.
How PPC Marketing in Sydney Works for Hotels
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of how this marketing strategy can help hotels, let’s first go back to the basics. Essentially, PPC marketing is a paid form of advertising that targets your audience based on your specifications (keywords, demographics, location, interests, etc.). With this marketing strategy, businesses are only charged if the user clicks on the ad.
A lot of businesses find this an effective tactic since it heavily targets their desired audience. From online behaviour, to their geographic area, PPC has you covered. So, how can this benefit hotels?
Through PPC, hotels can increase visibility by being on top of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). To guide you, here are a few key types of PPC in Sydney for hotels:
- Search ads target users who are actively searching for available hotels in the city.
- Display ads allow businesses to build awareness by showcasing visually engaging ads on different websites.
- Retargeting campaigns re-engage former hotel website visitors who didn’t book a stay in the accommodation.
The top platforms hoteliers use for their PPC campaigns include Google Ads and Bing Ads. Google leverages tools like hotel-specific ad extensions. Bing, on the other hand, caters to a smaller population but a highly targeted audience.
Compared to Bing, you can utilise Google AdWords to improve your SERPs. Some of the benefits of using Google AdWords are as follows:
- Increase visibility and reach
- Cost-effective advertising
- Precise targeting capabilities
- Measurable results and analytics
- Competitive advantage
- Enhance brand awareness
- Local business benefits
Crafting a Winning PPC Strategy for Sydney Hotels
An effective PPC campaign management in Sydney should include winning strategies to ensure its success. One key component of a fruitful campaign includes geo-targeting for both local and international travellers. By maximising geo-targeting features, hotels can focus on tourists searching for accommodations in the city.
Additionally, you should tailor your campaign to different audiences. This may include visitors planning Sydney vacations or local residents looking for a staycation.
Aside from targeting your audience, businesses like yours can also utilise high-intent keywords. By bidding on them, you can convert more customers since you’re focusing on users who intend to book a hotel room. A few examples include “best boutique hotel in Sydney” or “hotels near Sydney Opera House.”
When it comes to keywords, it’s important to take note of negative keywords. This helps advertisers filter out irrelevant traffic to the site.
With regards to ad copy and landing page optimisation, it’s critical to produce an engaging one that highlights key selling points. A good example of this is spotlighting luxury amenities and the hotel’s proximity to attractions. The landing page, on the other hand, should be mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and feature easy booking processes.
Leveraging Retargeting Strategies to Re-Engage Potential Guests
In marketing strategies, such as PPC in Australia, businesses should recognise the impact of retargeting. This method shows your relevant ads to users who’ve previously visited your website or interacted with your brand on other online platforms.
Hotels can use a variety of content ideas for retargeting strategies, including ads that showcase room availability, limited offers, or seasonal packages. That being said, you can personalise these ads based on user behaviour to promote conversions.
You can maximise conversion opportunities to help drive direct bookings. Encourage action by offering limited-time deals or exclusive discounts for direct booking. You can then redirect users to your hotel’s landing page for an optimised and seamless booking experience.
Monitoring and Optimising PPC Marketing in Sydney
Monitoring and optimising are two non-negotiables when it comes to PPC marketing. These are very important practices to track campaign performance. A few of the metrics to look out for include:
- Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Cost Per Click (CPC)
- Conversion Rate
Advertisers can also set up conversion tracking methods to directly measure bookings linked to the ad campaign.
With that, advertisers can utilise tools for analysis and management for PPC management in Sydney. In fact, Google Ads Manager can provide insights into ad performance. On the other hand, Google Analytics tracks user behaviour post-click and helps refine strategies.
For PPC campaigns, marketers can observe continuous optimisation techniques. These tactics include:
- A/B testing ad copy, visuals, and landing page designs
- Adjusting bids and budgets based on campaign performance and seasonal demand
- Refining audience targeting to focus on high-conversion segments.
Improve Direct Bookings with PPC Land
PPC marketing strategies in Sydney offer different benefits to hotels in the area. It boosts direct bookings, including increased ROI, stronger customer relationships, and less reliance on third-party booking platforms.
With what they bring to the table, hoteliers should consider investing in these strategies for better financial returns. With direct bookings, you can lessen the cost of paying for third-party platforms for hotel stays. So, how can you achieve this? Seek help from PPC agencies in Australia, such as PPC Land. We can help your business grow through strategic online marketing.
You can expect dedicated, laser-focused, relentless KPI lead generation, consistent reporting and communication from us! Our ad experts' bespoke programmatic data analysis can help you achieve better and higher revenue. To know more about our marketing tactics, get in touch with us today!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re in the hospitality industry and looking into investing in a PPC agency in Sydney, you might have a few questions in mind. Let us help you with that below!
How to increase the ROI of a PPC marketing strategy?
By constantly monitoring your campaign, you can get an overview of how to increase your ROI by adjusting the strategy. Other tactics include keyword research, improving ad copy, optimising landing pages, and more.
What does a PPC marketer do?
Ads specialists focus on creating and refining their client’s PPC campaigns. They have the knowledge and skills to target specific audiences for the best possible ROI through marketing.