Martin
Founder, strategy and audits
Writes every audit and takes every first call. On your account from day one, running growth for SMEs since 2010.
SEM for Hotels
Google Ads for Independent Hotels
When a guest searches for your hotel by name, the first paid result is often a travel site that takes a cut of the stay. Google Ads puts your own booking page in that spot, and reaches guests searching for stays in your area. We build, run and report on it, and do not promise bookings.
For hotel owners and revenue teams who want paid search tied to calendar gaps, direct bookings and a clear view of cost against revenue.
Where paid search fits for a hotel
Context from how your customers search, compare and book.
Hotel search is a contest with large travel sites that spend heavily. An independent hotel rarely wins by bidding on broad words like hotels in a city. It wins by protecting its own name, by targeting specific needs such as pet friendly rooms or parking, and by showing rates in price listings.
Brand protection is the first job. When travel sites bid on your hotel name, you pay their commission on a guest who already chose you. A small, steady brand campaign keeps your booking link above theirs, and usually costs far less per click than any other term.
Booking windows decide timing. City weekend stays are often booked days ahead, while summer breaks and weddings are booked months ahead. A campaign that treats both the same wastes money. We set budgets by stay type and by the dates that are still empty in your calendar.
Not every request is a room booking. Group blocks, weddings and small meetings go to a sales team by phone or form, and those clicks should reach a different page. Call handling and response speed matter as much as the ad, since a slow reply sends the buyer to the next venue.
Who this paid search suits
groups Customer segments
- person Independent hotels losing brand clicks to travel sites
- person Hotels near event venues, hospitals or business parks with date-driven demand
- person Properties promoting packages, spa days or dining to non-guests
- person Sales teams chasing weddings, conferences and corporate accounts
psychology What drives their decision
- check_circle Your own name above the travel sites at low cost
- check_circle Ads that match the dates and rooms you still have
- check_circle Group and wedding requests routed to a person quickly
- check_circle Reports that connect spend to direct revenue
How we deliver SEM
A clear, repeatable process built around how hotels customers search and decide.
1
Calendar and goals
We start with your calendar: which dates are full, which are open and which stay types earn the most. We agree what a good result is, whether direct room nights, group requests or restaurant covers, and set a monthly ceiling you control.
2
Brand and competitor cover
We build a brand campaign for your hotel name and its common misspellings, with extensions for rates, rooms and directions. We watch which travel sites bid on your name and agree how much of your budget should defend it.
3
Destination and need campaigns
We build separate campaigns for stays near named venues, pet friendly rooms, parking, family rooms and business stays. Ads send guests to the room or package page that fits, with the dates carried into your booking engine.
4
Price listings and group campaigns
Where possible, we connect your rates so they show in hotel price listings. A separate campaign handles weddings, meetings and group blocks, with a form and a phone path to your sales team rather than the room booking page.
5
Weekly tuning and reporting
Each week we review search terms, move budget to dates that need filling and pause what does not book. Each month you receive a plain report showing clicks, bookings, group requests and revenue by campaign.
query_stats
What Hotels SEM includes
Reach people who are ready to book on Google, without paying for clicks that never turn into customers
- check_circle Account build and ad writing
- check_circle Brand and price listing setup
- check_circle Group and wedding campaign
- check_circle Booking revenue tracking
- check_circle Monthly report on cost and revenue
What you can expect
- verified Your own booking link appears first when guests search your hotel name
- verified Ads reach guests looking for the stay type or location you actually offer
- verified Open dates in your calendar receive more attention than sold-out ones
- verified Group and wedding requests reach your sales team quickly
- verified Cost per booking is compared with the commission you would otherwise pay
- verified You see direct revenue by campaign instead of clicks alone
Deliverables you receive
inventory_2 Brand campaign protecting your hotel name against third-party travel site bids
inventory_2 Destination campaigns for named venues, pet friendly stays, parking and family rooms
inventory_2 Hotel price listing setup where your booking engine allows a rates feed
inventory_2 Group and wedding campaign with a request form and a phone path to sales
inventory_2 Exclusions for hotel jobs, supplies, competitor names and cheap-stay phrases you do not serve
inventory_2 Booking engine conversion tracking with revenue values and monthly reports
Technical approach
The mechanics behind SEM for hotels, explained plainly.
Dates carried into the engine
Ads for specific stays send guests to your booking engine with dates, guest numbers and room type already filled where possible. Less typing on a phone means fewer people leave before they see a rate.
Revenue tracking
We track completed bookings with their value, not only clicks, so spending can be judged against room revenue. Where the engine cannot pass values, we use a clear fallback and say so in the report.
Calendar-led budgets
We raise bids for dates still open and lower them for sold-out weekends, using simple rules you approve. Event weekends, school breaks and slow midweek stretches each get a note in the plan.
Marketing from $500 USD a month
Month to month, no commitment. One fee covers the pages, the search and ad work and the tracking. Ad spend is separate and stays in your own accounts.
Starting at
$500 USD per month
Free to cancel with 1 month's notice. Tell us what you sell and where. We come back with what the first month would fix.
Get a Free AuditWhat $500 a month covers
Pages
IncludedPages built around the searches your buyers actually type.
Search and ads
IncludedSearch and ads aimed at people ready to inquire.
Tracking
IncludedCalls, forms and bookings tagged to the search, ad or page behind them.
What to expect from Google Ads
Paid search starts fast, but hotel campaigns need a few weeks of data before the best bids and ads are clear.
Days 1 to 14
We build the brand campaign, check tracking in the booking engine and test the path on a phone. Early spend is small while we confirm bookings are recorded correctly.
Weeks 3 to 8
Destination, price listing and group campaigns go live. We review search terms weekly, trim waste and begin to see which stay types and which dates pay back in direct bookings.
Months 3 to 6 and beyond
Calendar rules and seasonal plans are in place. We compare paid bookings with the commission avoided. Results depend on rates, demand and competition, and we do not guarantee bookings.
Other Hotels marketing services
Our team
The same people on the audit and on the work
Martin writes every audit and takes the first call. The same team stays on the account. 160+ businesses since 2010.
Yoana
Social and app development
Shapes social strategy and builds practical app experiences that turn attention into action.
Mike
SEO
Owns technical, local and content SEO so the right buyers find you when demand is highest.
Robert
Paid media
Plans and manages paid search and social campaigns around qualified leads.
Elmer
Analytics
Connects tracking, attribution and reporting so decisions are based on revenue-quality data.
Dino
Design
Creates clear brand and conversion-focused design across landing pages, campaigns and product experiences.
Certified and experienced
Certified where it matters. Accountable for the outcome.
Verified platform knowledge, 25+ years of hands-on experience, and an operating track record since 2010.
Google AdsCertified
✓Google AnalyticsCertified
✓Google Tag ManagerCertified
✓Operating since 2010Proven experience
✓Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth bidding on our own hotel name? expand_more
Usually yes, because travel sites often bid on it. A small brand campaign keeps your booking link at the top and costs little per click. We measure it so you can see what it protects.
Can independent hotels compete with big travel sites in paid search? expand_more
Not on broad words, but they can on specific ones. Named venues, pet friendly rooms, parking, packages and brand searches are cheaper and clearer. We also use price listings so rates appear next to the larger sites.
How much do hotels usually spend on Google Ads? expand_more
It depends on room count, rates and how competitive your market is. A modest test with a firm ceiling is a good start. We raise spend only where direct bookings justify it.
How do ads help with weddings and group stays? expand_more
Those buyers search differently and need a person, so they get their own campaign and form. We send them to a page about blocks, spaces and dates, and agree how fast your team replies. A fast answer wins more of those requests.
Can you target gaps in our hotels calendar? expand_more
Yes. We raise bids for dates that are still open and lower them for sold-out dates. You tell us when the gaps appear, such as midweek or after an event, and we adjust.
Do we need a particular booking engine for hotels ads? expand_more
Not a particular one, but it should work on a phone and allow conversion tracking. Some engines also support a rates feed for price listings. We check yours in the first weeks and say plainly what it can and cannot do.
What does the monthly hotels ads report include? expand_more
Spend, clicks, bookings, revenue and group requests by campaign, the searches behind them and our notes on changes made. We compare paid bookings against the commission avoided so you can judge the value.
Ready to get more from Hotels SEM?
Get a free audit and we will show you where you are losing inquiries today.
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