6 Hotel Metasearch Engine Tips To Increase Direct Bookings

I don’t enjoy making hotel reservations. I find them tedious.

I remember when my family decided to visit Jammu and Kashmir, I had to Google for properties in every single city. Then, read all reviews, check their prices, check the location and property pictures. And when I was not happy, I had to check another hotel and go through the whole shebang.

For someone who doesn’t even get up from the bed to turn off the lights, you think I would do so much just to book a hotel?

It’s not my cup of tea at all!

But, I came across something that made things really simple. Now, I don’t have to juggle multiple Google searches to find a hotel that fits my needs. I can check and even compare multiple hotels on one single platform. 

Yes, I am talking about Hotel Metasearch Engine. 

And this blog is going to be all things metasearch engines and how hotels can make the most out of it.

Let’s get to it.

What are Hotel Metasearch Engines?

Let me help you understand what a meta search engine is with an example.

For instance, you want to buy a new smartphone. Now, instead of checking out every mobile brand website, you can explore all of them on Amazon. You can check specifications, prices, and even compare them on one single platform. Isn’t that convenient?

A hotel metasearch engine works the same way. Travellers enter search terms and the engine delivers search results that include hotels from various online travel agencies (OTAs) and other booking sites all in one place.

That’s not all. Travellers can also compare those hotels (based on any factor) to find the one that suits their preferences best.

Furthermore, here’s a piece of additional information.

If you notice, I have mentioned it as ‘Hotel Metasearch Engine’ on the subheading and not just ‘Metasearch engine’. And if you ask why, it’s because there are metasearch engines available for almost every domain. You can literally compare anything from clothing to electronics to airfare.

I don’t want you to go to some electronics metasearch and look for hotels.

(Okay! That wasn’t funny. But never mind)

The Role of Metasearch in the Hotel Industry

Every hotel wants to be seen easily by travellers.

And metasearch engines present hoteliers just that. It provides a platform to advertise their hotels.

Over the years, the importance of metasearch engines has increased in the hotel industry. During the initial days, they weren’t able to grab a great share of the pie. But today, the picture is vastly different.

According to a report, about 72.5% of travellers use metasearch engines to find a hotel to book. 

You can imagine how much of an impact it has made in the industry. And I am sure that you now understand why your hotel should be using metasearch.

So, if you have been shying away from adding metasearch to your booking channels, then I must say, it’s high time.

Hotel metasearch engines make it extremely easy for your guests to find your property. And the more visibility you have, the more likely you are to drive revenue.

Difference Between Metasearch and OTA

MANY people think metasearch engines and OTAs are the same (if not the same then at least similar to a great extent). However, that’s not the case.

The major difference between the both is that OTAs sell inventory and metasearch engines don’t. 

The main focus of OTAs is to reduce the work for travellers. Hence, they allow travellers to book directly through the OTA website. While metasearch lets guests compare hotel rates from various sites

Here’s a table for your better understanding:

But! There’s always a BUT.

Things are sort of changing. Certain metasearch engines are now displaying booking buttons to let travellers book directly from the metasearch results. And this is mostly because of the emerging opportunities in the industry.

Again, there’s a downside to this as well. In one of my previous blogs, I have mentioned that OTAs gather guest details that SOMETIMES bother hotels. And with this new feature by metasearch engines, the scenario could become sort of similar.

But that’s a completely different story. 

For now, let’s focus on the topic at hand.

Tips to Make the Most Out of Metasearch Engines

Now that you have learned about metasearch engines, let me help you with some tips to increase bookings through hotel Metasearch.

#1 Optimize your booking engine

This one goes without saying, but still, let’s discuss it quickly.

When I talked about the differences between metasearch engines and OTAs, I mentioned that metasearch engines don’t sell inventory. Rather, they redirect travellers to the hotel website.

But can a hotel acquire direct reservations without a booking engine (or a booking engine that isn’t effective)? It’s unlikely!

The basis for increasing direct bookings in a hotel is an optimized booking engine. Meaning, you need to ensure that you have a booking engine on your website that is absolutely well-structured.

• It should support other devices such as mobile and tablet bookings
• It must be user-friendly
• It must include proper room and rate structure
• The booking process should be as simple as possible
• It should also include a secure payment gateway etc.
• Must support or work in sync with Google’s free hotel booking links

These are just some of the points to consider. However, when you go about optimizing your booking there are a lot of other things involved.

Do let me know if you would want me to write a dedicated blog on booking engine optimization.

Also, if you’re planning to get one for your website, here’s something that can help you out:

#2 Choose the right metasearch engine

There are several metasearch engines available for hotels. But it is imperative to pick the ones that best suit you.

First things first, when you pick a metasearch engine to get listed, make sure they have a good reputation in the hospitality industry.

Apart from that, determine which all metasearch engines have a good reach. The better traffic they have, the higher chances you have of showing up on their search results.

#3 Optimize your metasearch listing

When we talk about optimizing metasearch listing, it is sort of similar to optimizing an OTA listing. But before jumping right into the optimization aspect, I have something more to add.

Why should you optimize your listing? Because, better content will result in higher guest engagement, thereby maximising your bookings.

And, how can you do that?

• Ensure that every detail in your metasearch engine is updated.
• Upload high-quality photos of your property.
• Maintain your room rate integrity (we will talk more about rates going forward).
• List all the amenities you have in your hotel etc.

Further, if you’re wondering why I haven’t listed a point on ‘reviews’, it’s because metasearch engines show ratings based on reviews across the web.

Meaning, you have to make sure you have good reviews on other platforms (such as OTAs).

Also Read: Importance of reviews and hotel review management

#4 Maintain rate parity

Many platforms take rate parity seriously. And hotels must take it the same way because there’s more than just grabbing the top spot in listings.

Just in case you aren’t aware of rate parity, it is the practice of offering consistent room rates across different distribution channels.

But why should you bother about it? Playing in the hotel metasearch engine space is all about driving more direct bookings. And when you have a strict rate parity on all channels, you not only build trust among your guests but also push them towards your website to make a booking.

I also want to address the fact that when a hotel works with an OTA, it’s kind of unfair for hotels to set rate parity because of the commissions. But let’s keep that for some other day.

#5 Monitor constantly

I cannot put enough emphasis on the constant monitoring of your metasearch performance.

Further, by monitoring, I mean keeping an eye on every aspect of the metasearch platform. Because sometimes metasearch sites often test new formats and even the most subtle changes can have an impact on your hotel’s bottom line.

For example: If a metasearch site changes the way they display hotel information and adds a section for a specific amenity, you have to be quick enough to notice it and make changes to your listing content. Otherwise, there are chances that you’ll be filtered out of search results by people looking for that specific amenity.

#6 Ask for help if you are struggling

If you are struggling to optimize your metasearch game, do not shy away from seeking help.

Many hotels don’t invest in professionals who can help them with metasearch results. They either feel that these sites don’t deliver results or they don’t believe in the fact that a professional works much effectively.

However, that shouldn’t be the case. It is always advised to work in collaboration with someone who knows the nuts and bolts of the metasearch space.

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