Direct bookings up 3x.
I put Bealey Quarter's name in front of travellers and tightened their Google Search ads. Direct bookings on their own website tripled, from about 36 a month to 118.
3x
direct bookings a month
More bookings on their own site, and more everywhere else.
- 3xdirect bookings a month, 36 to 118First six months vs last six months
- 191direct bookings in the best month, February 2023Up from 27 in November 2021
- 14%of bookings made direct, up from about 10%Six-month averages
Reservations made through the motel's own website.
The short version
- The problem
- Bealey Quarter is a boutique motel in the Christchurch CBD. Most of its bookings came through Booking.com, with a commission on every one, and fewer than one in ten came through its own website.
- What I did
- I put the motel's name in front of travellers on travel and news sites with Google Display ads, then tightened the Search ads so the budget went on people actually looking to stay in Christchurch.
- The result
- Direct bookings tripled, from about 36 a month to 118. More guests booked on the motel's own website, from about one in ten bookings to one in seven, and Booking.com bookings grew too.
Paying too much commission on every booking?
Book a free 20-minute call and I'll tell you where I'd start, even if it's not with me.
How I did it
Nov 2021 to Apr 2022
See where the bookings were going
Booking.com is great at bringing in guests, but every booking through it costs a commission. Most of the motel's bookings went that way.
- About 369 Booking.com bookings a month, and just 36 direct
- Broad match search ads spent budget on searches that weren't about booking a stay
- The motel's name didn't show up on the travel and news sites people browse while planning a trip
The first six months
- 10% of bookings made direct
- 36 direct bookings a month
- 369 Booking.com bookings a month
- 27 direct bookings in November 2021
Google Display ads
Put the motel's name in front of travellers
Travellers who already know your name are more likely to search for you and book direct. Display ads made sure they saw it while planning a trip.
- Ads on travel sites like TripAdvisor and Expedia, and NZ news sites like the NZ Herald
- Imagery built around the rooms and the city location, not just a price
- Images, sizes and messages A/B tested, keeping what worked
Direct website reservations as a percentage of total reservations, November 2021 to August 2023.
Google Search ads
Spend on people actually looking to stay
Broad keywords were bringing in clicks from people who weren't planning a stay. Tightening the targeting meant Search competed with Booking.com where it mattered.
What changed
- Keywords broad match swapped for phrase and exact match
- Audiences focused on people over 30, where bookings came from
- Location people interested in, or often visiting, Christchurch
- Negative keywords cut clicks that were never going to book
- Scheduling ads shown when people book, with copy A/B tested
Three things that made the difference.
Brand awareness pays off at booking time
Travellers who've seen your name are more likely to search for you and book direct.
Match keywords to intent
Moving from broad to phrase and exact match stopped the budget going on searches that weren't about booking a stay.
Every direct booking keeps the commission
Shifting even a few percent of bookings to your own site adds straight to the margin.
More case studies
Paying too much commission on every booking?
Book a free 20-minute call. I'll tell you where I'd start, even if it's not with me.
