Google Hotel Ads

Google Hotel Ads & Google for Vacation Rentals

This page is about the menu  (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > GOOGLE ADS and explains the interface with Google works and how to connect.

1 Introduction

As an official Google partner Beds24 can distribute your direct prices and inventory to Google.

• You get a direct connection to Google with the best rate coverage and real time prices

• Display your direct prices and availability on Google Search and Maps


Depending on the type of property you can either use Google Hotel Ads or Google for Vacation Rentals.

2 For Vacation Rental Properties: Commission free bookings from Google for Vacation Rentals

2.1 What is Google for Vacation Rentals and how does it work

Vacation rentals without business signage and a permanently staffed front desk onsite that accepts walk-in customers are strictly prohibited from having a Google Business Profile so they can not show on Google Maps. We can list these properties on Google's Vacation Rentals.

Google will create a vacation rental listing from the pictures (minimum requirement is 8 pictures), prices and availability and descriptions, sent from Beds24 with a direct booking link to your Beds24 booking page.

Google will display your property and live prices and availability if they meet the guests search criteria and the guest can then book directly on the Beds24 booking page.

Google does not charge any commission for bookings made via Google for Vacation Rentals. For Beds24 normal channel manager fees apply.

view large

view large

view large

2.2 Google for Vacation Rentals Setup

Step 1: Select Google for Vacation Rentals

Set Google Product to

• "Google for Vacation Rentals (List Rooms)" if you want to send the room content to Google or if you have multiple rooms in a property and want to connect more than one room. With this setting the names from (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > DESCRIPTION and the room pictures will send. If you do not have room pictures the offer pictures will send. If you do not have room pictures or offer pictures the property pictures will send.
• "Google for Vacation Property (List Property)". With this setting the name, description and pictures from the property will send.

Step 2: Make sure you have enough pictures

Google requires a minimum of 8 pictures.

Go to (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > PICTURES and double check that you have uploaded and activated at least eight pictures.

Please note that Google sometimes selects the images randomly and displays them in random order instead of the position you selected in (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > PICTURES

Step 3: Make sure your information in Beds24 is complete

If required update your property information in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION:

• Property Name
• City
• State
• Postcode
• Address - if you have multiple properties Google expects a different address for each property.
• Country
• Latitude 'Latitude' and 'Longitude' have to reflect the actual location of your property.

Google will not accept data which does not contain all of the above information.

Click on 'View Mapping Data' to check what will send. If what you see there is not complete go back to (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION.

Step 4: Allow Beds24 to send your data

Google for Vacation Rentals listings are per property. Only one room per property can connect.

Set 'Synchronise' = Notify for the room you want to connect so Google can verify your content.

Step 5: Check your landing page

Make sure your landing page is provides meaningful information so guests will be confident to make a booking (see below).

It can take Google up to 14 days to verify your property. Once they have verified your property they will show it when it matches the guests search criteria.

3 Google Hotel Ads for hotels, B&Bs, guest houses and other hotel type properties: Google Free Booking links and paid campaigns

3.1 What is Google Hotel Ads?

Google Hotel Ads allows you to showcase your hotel via adverts across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices on Google.

Free booking links display similar information to Googles paid booking links.

Paid hotel ads are ranked according to Google’s ad auction, whereas free booking links are unpaid links, ranked according to their utility to users. Google may show free booking links alongside hotel ads within the existing booking module at their discretion.

3.2 Who can use Google Hotel Ads

Google Hotel Ads is only available to hotels ad hotel type properties. Vacation rental properties can not use Google Hotel Ads. Googles guidelines are that the property should have all the following:

• Rooms in which paying guests can stay
• A physical presence and fixed location that is open to the public
• A staffed front desk open during normal business hours
• A minimum stay requirement of no greater than 7 days
• A "Google Profile" listing
• Google Hotel Ads is a hotel platform and does not respect minimum stay restrictions. Google checks for a one night stay on each date, if they do not find availability for one night they usually assume the date is closed and do not check any further including for stays of 2 or more days. Google prioritizes also properties which have availability in the near future.

Beds24 has to be the booking engine used on your web site. If you use a different booking engine than Beds24 on your web site Google does not allow you to use Google Hotel Ads via Beds24.

3.3 Google Hotel Center Connection for Free Hotel Booking Links

With a Google Hotel Center connection Beds24 can send your property data to Google. If Google can match this data Beds24 will send your prices and availabilty to Google so you can benefit from Googles Free Booking Links.

For a Google Hotel Center connection the normal channel manager fees apply.

Free booking links appear on the hotel booking module alongside hotel ads when travelers look for rooms at a given hotel.

click to see an example

Before using the service Google must match your property with the information they already have. This process may take Google a few weeks to complete.

Step 1: Update your Google Business Profile

Make sure your Google Business profile is verified and up to date with your hotel information. Google provides instructions on their site to help you get started.

Step 2: Make sure your information in Beds24 is the same as on your Google Business Profile

Click on 'View Mapping Data'. Also open your Google Business listing and check that this information matches exactly the information in your Google business listing. If you do not yet have one set one up.

If required update your property information in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION:

• Property Name
• City
• State
• Postcode
• Address - if you have multiple properties, Google expects a different address for each property.
• Country
• Phone Number - if you have multiple properties Google expects a unique phone number for each property.
• Latitude 'Latitude' and 'Longitude' have to reflect the actual location of your property.

Google will not accept data which does not contain all of the above information.

This information needs to match exactly the information in your Google Business Profile

If you have multiple properties Google expects a unique address and phone number for each. You can not use the same address and phone number for more than one property.

• If you want Google to show that the booking is cancellable check that you have allowed cancellations in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING RULES and (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > OFFERS

Step 3: Allow Beds24 to send your data

• Go to (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > GOOGLE ADS and set Google Product = Google Hotel Ads.
• Set 'Synchronise' = Enable so Google can read your data and match you. This will opt you in for Googles free booking links. You will need to connect at least one room so we can send your data.

Step 4: Check your landing page

Make sure your landing page is provides meaningful information so guests will be confident to make a booking (see below).

It can take Google up do 2 weeks to match your hotel.

Step 5: Check if Google could match your property

• Go to (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > GOOGLE ADS and click on "View Mapping Data"
• If you you are not yet matched Google might still be working in this because this process may take Google a few weeks to complete.
• If you see drror sor warnings you will need to fix them and check again.

3.4 Google Ads connection for paid advertising campaigns

With a Google Ads connection you will be able to create advertising campaigns on Google Data sent to Google so customers can run ad campaigns on Google. Hotel ads are ranked according to Google’s ad auction. In order to run paid ads on Google you need a Google Ads connection in addition to a Google Hotel Center Connection.

Hotel campaigns allow you to bid for hotel advertisements that appear when travellers search for accommodations on Google Search, Google Maps, or YouTube. These ads are displayed in a hotel booking module, showcasing photos, amenities, prices, and a link to book the hotel. Learn more

For a Google Ads connection a fee of €0.50 per room (not per noom trype) applies on top of the normal channel manager fees.

Google will display the highest and the next highest bidder directly in the ad. The four next highest bidders will be shown after the guest clicks on "More".

view large

An important part of your marketing strategy on Google is to make sure that your property has a well maintained profile on Google, with pictures, descriptions, etc.

An additional connection fee of €0.50 per room (not per room type) applies on top of the normal channel manager fees.

How it works

• We send your properties and their descriptive content, prices, and availability to Google.
• We link these properties to your Google Ads account.
• You can then create hotel ad campaigns for these properties.

Step 1: Find your Google Ads Customer ID

Log in to your Google Ads account and copy your Google Ads Customer ID found in the top right of the page (It is in the format 123-456-7890).

Step 2: Start a connection from Beds24 to Google Ads

1. In Beds24 navigate to (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > GOOGLE ADS
2. Make sure Google Product is set to Google Hotel Ads
3. Paste your customer ID into the Google Ads Customer ID field Once you enter your Google Ads ID you will be charged an additional connectinon fee of €0.50 per room (not per room type) on top of the normal channel manager fees.
4. Double check the rooms you want to connect are set to "Enable". You will need to connect at least one room so we can send your data.
5. Press SAVE

If you are enabling a room in a property for the first time it may take Google up to two weeks to match your property with your Google Business Profile

Step 3: Approve the connection between Beds24 and Google Ads

1. Return to your Google Ads account
2. Navigate to Tools > Data Manager > Connected Products.
3. Find "Google Hotel Center," and click the Manage & link button.
4. In the table, find the "Action" column, and click View request.
5. Click Approve.

It may take up to 72 hours for the "Hotel" campaign type option to appear in your Google Ads account once you have approved the link.

How to create a hotel ad campaign Learn more

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Create + button and select Campaign.
2. For "campaign objective," select Create a campaign without a goal's guidance.
3. For "campaign type," select Hotel and click Continue. (If the hotel option does not appear you may need to wait up to 72 hours after linking your account)
4. For "Choose your source of hotel rates for this campaign," select I have a Hotel Center account.
5. In the field below "I have a Hotel Center account," select "1631096518 (beds24)" and click Continue.
6. Fill out the remaining campaign settings however you like.

How to select specific properties in a hotel ad campaign Learn more

1. In Google Ads, navigate to Campaigns > Ad groups and select your ad group.
2. Hover over the "All hotels" hotel group and click the + icon.
3. You can now filter your properties by property ID, location, etc.

3.4.1 Disconnect your Google Ads account

Remove your Google Ads customer ID from your properties in Beds24 under (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > GOOGLE ADS. In Google Ads, navigate to Tools > Data Manager > Connected Products > Google Hotel Center, click Unlink, then Proceed.

Note that after disconnecting, your campaigns that rely on this link will stop serving ads, you will also be unable to create new hotel ad campaigns.

3.4.2 Common problems

You must have admin access to your Google Ads account.

Your Google Ads account must be in expert mode.

Google Hotel Ads are only available for properties that have a Google Business account.

3.5 Performance Report

Google provides a Performance report for hotels which place bids.

Google will not provide data for properties which only use free booking links.

When you click on "Performance Report" you can check if your links are shown and how they perform. If the report is empty even though you placed a bid, click on "View Mapping Data" to see why Google did not match you. Fix the issues and then check again after 10-14 days.

3.6 Deposit Collection

In (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > GOOGLE ADS there you can set options for deposit collection

• “Default” uses the “Booking Type” set in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING RULES
• “Instant Deposit Collected” hides payment options (offline payments, credit card number collection) which do not send an instant payment notification to Beds24 on collection of funds.
• “Deposit Collection” allows all deposit collection types you have enabled for bookings from Google without affecting your normal booking rule for non Google bookings.

Deposit collection options can be setup at (SETTINGS) > PAYMENTS.

4 Price sent to Google

After Google has matched you we can send prices to Google.

The price sent to Google is the lowest price for 2 people from offer one and offer 2 from your direct booking prices. A 2 person price is compulsory. If no 2 person price is supplied the room will send as unavailable.

Prices for 1, 3, 4 , 6 and 8 guests will also be sent if they are defined.

Discounts set in the "Discounts" tab of Fixed Prices will not send.

If you have set a multiplier percentage for the Google bookings, the price will be adjusted by this amount.

If you have compulsory taxes or fees, these will be sent in addition to the price to create the effective end price.

Guests coming from Google will be shown this price by Google and expect to pay the same price on your booking page.

Multiplier

You can set a multiplier to adjust the prices sent to Google if required. The multiplier only works on the room price not on the fees and upsell items.

5 Landing page

The Beds24 booking page is opened when a guest click to book on Google.

The conversion rate depends largely on the quality of your landing page.

You have the option to set up a dedicated layout which is used as landing page for Google. The default template 7 is a good starting template which already contains a map. This help explain how to set up and customise your layout.

Click on "Landing Page" to check that your landing page is suitable as your landing page and contains all information a guest booking your lodging might want to see:

• Provide your logo or at least your property name
• Show at least one high quality picture for each room
• If you use a header picture or slider make sure it is not too high so that at least the first room displays without scrolling

You might consider adding the following information:

• Contact details
• Address
• Google map

The Google Ad will be shown in all languages allowed on your booking page.

You have the option to add URL parameters for the landing page in the "URL additions" fields. Only add the additional parameters do not enter your full booking page URL, for example if you add &roomid=9999, then only room 9999 will be included in your URL. For a list of available parameter please see here.

Make sure you activate all languages that you accept bookings for, in (SETTINGS) BOOKING PAGE >I NTERNATIONALIZATION. Guests searching in languages you do not support on your booking page will not be able to make a direct booking.

6 FAQ

6.1 What is the difference between Google Hotel Ads and Google for Vacation Rentals?

Google Hotel ads is only available for hotels and hotel type properties only. For Hotel Ads, Google requires the property to have a staffed front desk open during normal business hours, and it needs to have a “Google Profile” listing. Google favours properties without minimum stay restrictions.

Google for Vacation Rentals is specifically for vacation rental properties like apartments and holiday houses, and can only be used by such properties.

6.2 Where are bookings made?

Google redirects to the hotels booking page. Charges and all other matter related to the booking have to be handled by the hotel. The booking page is opened when a guest click to book on Google. Redirecting to a different location is not possible.

6.3 How can I check how my campaign is performing?

Google provides a weekly report which you can access when you click on "Weekly Performance Report".

6.4 Why is my Ad not showing on Google?

Check the following items:

1) Make sure your property matched with a Google business listing.
2) Make sure you have enough credit in your Beds24 account to pay commissions.
3) Make sure your booking page supports the language of the Google search.
4) Your bid might be too low so your ad is now shown. This happens when OTAs also bid on your property We recommend you raise your bit by one point every week until you reach a competitive level.
5) Google Ads default to a one night minimum stay and tend to perform best for near term bookings with short stays.