Search Engine Marketing

Transcription

1 Search Engine Marketing Maximize Online Merchandising Opportunities Scott Dahl SVP Revenue Management Sunstone Hotels

2 Why bother?

3 As lodging revenues grow, the portion booked online will growing faster Online Travel $$$ % of Total Travel $$$ 2003 $46 billion 20% 2004 $54 billion 23% 2005 $62 billion 26% 2006 $70 billion 28% 2007 $77 billion 30% 2008 $84 billion 31% 2009 $91 billion 33% Source: JupiterResearch Internet Travel Model, 2004

4 Consumers are quickly becoming more comfortable booking online In 2003, 55% of consumers surveyed were willing to book travel online, while 63% typically booked via phone. By 2004, 67% would book online, while those likely to use the phone declined to 57%. Source: The Keynote Customer Experience Rankings for the Lodging Industry

5 The Search Engines provide a forum for sellers to connect with interested buyers Search Engine Marketing increases the chance of being successful in this growing arena

6 The Retail Merchandising Arena Placement Packaging Product Source: Sam Space, P&G

7 The Online Merchandising Arena

8 Share Of US Searches Source: Dec. 2004, comscore (

9 Eye Activity Study

10 The screen is divided, with organic search results on the left and sponsored listings on the right. Below the fold is for growing mold!

11 Organic Search Engine Optimization

12 Organic Search Engine Optimization Organic SEO is optimizing a web site for crawlers. Crawlers are the automated process the search engines use to evaluate web sites, in order to determine which sites most closely satisfy the search criteria.

13 Organic SEO - Main Components Content Keep it current, fresh, relevant Keyword density Consider a blog (ie: Children s Guestbook) Meta and Alt Tags Allow you to tell search engines what your site is about Sell but be honest Inbound Linking Strategy Quality/relevant inbound links into your page have big value Links from.org and.gov sites have even more power Rule of thumb: Consider ROI for paid links on actual inbound traffic they will generate, page rank is a bonus.

14 Organic SEO Success Story - Napa Valley Marriott Resort and Spa Booked 20% of total revenue and 32% of transient revenue online direct in 2004, up from 17% and 26% respectively in 2003 Expect to book 26% of total revenue, and 40% of transient revenue online direct in 2005 Online direct revenue will double between 2003 and 2005, to over $3 million

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17 Pay Per Click Advertising - Sponsored Listings

18 Pay Per Click - Main Components Marketing message A quality call to action is critical Consider developing specific offerings (ie: packages) for specific promotions Be clear about what you offer to avoid paying for unwanted traffic Link it properly Must immediately arrive at what the consumer is looking for in order to be successful Use landing pages to communicate additional information Pre-populate booking engine with everything needed to book Be mindful of brand implications Tracking is critical Use capabilities of reservation system to ensure proper tracking Calculate ROI and adjust based on where you are successful

19 Pay Per Click Success Zone Source: Michael Sack, Inceptor, Inc

20 PPC Helpful Hints Have a shotgun mentality, running many small promotions simultaneously Develop specific offerings for niche demand Stay in the Success Zone Packaging is very effective Be sure it is trackable Only 23% of all searches include a brand

21 PPC Success Story Minneapolis Holidazzle A specific package, including event tickets and view rooms was offered $460 in PPC generated $32,470 in direct online revenue, with no other advertising $2700 in radio advertising generated $16,400 in 2003

22 PPC Success Story - Holiday Inn Mesa Chicago Cubs Spring Training Promotion A specific package including a 2005 Cubs Spring Training hat was offered $300 in PPC generated $4480 in direct online revenues. The hotel also had its best March ever

23 Organic Search versus Pay Per Click Organic SEO is free, PPC costs money Organic SEO is like PR, PPC is advertising Organic SEO takes a long term commitment, PPC can be implemented almost immediately Organic SEO requires content, PPC can be pointed at existing pages, booking engines, etc Organic SEO requires access to all aspects of the website, PPC is external

24 Positioning REALLY matters.. Position Organic Search Results Viewed Sponsored Listings Viewed 1 100% 50% 2 100% 40% 3 100% 30% 4 85% 20% 5 60% 10% 6 50% 10% 7 50% 10% 8 30% 10% 9 30% 10 20%

25 Making it all work together Start with an accurate forecast Develop the plan in advance 2/3 of all travel buyers searched at least two weeks before actually buying Know you are promoting something you actually need Match marketable local events with need dates on your forecast for maximum success To be successful, there must be communication between those with the local knowledge and those with the technical Consider using an outside vendor to manage the technical aspects