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Google’s Latest Change To Search Ads: What Are Travel Feeds?

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Updated on October 28, 2024

person using Google on phone while sat on a bench

Not long after its AI makeover of Google Shopping Ads, Google has rolled out another change to Search Ads – this time impacting hotel owners.

On October 21st, Google announced its addition of Travel Feeds to Search Ads for hotels: “Starting today, all hotel advertisers can now showcase feed data, such as hotels, prices, dates, ratings and images, in this ad format.”

But what impact will this have on the travel industry, and can we expect Travel Feeds to branch out to other sectors in the near future? I’ll be delving into the key layout changes to be aware of and how hotel owners can use them in their Search Ads.

How Will Travel Feeds Benefit Me?

The introduction of Travel Feeds to Search Ads comes after positive results from initial testing that showed a 20% increase in click-through rate for fully-participating hotels.

Travel Feeds will mean that much more data about your hotel will be shared in search results, which will make it easier than ever for people to compare hotels and narrow down their options. In theory, increased customer knowledge will mean that – as well as having a higher click-through rate – the visitors to your page will have higher intention to book.

From the mock illustrations shared by Google, advertisers can also expect hotels’ specials and packages and a best rate guarantee to be displayed.

Currently this feature is only available for hotel advertisers, but Google has said it’ll be “expanding Travel Feeds in Search Ads beyond hotels to things to do, car rentals and events in the coming months.”

SEO expert Vijay Chauhan has already spotted some changes to the “things to do” search queries, which he shared via X. The new layout shows the “top 10 things this week” with links to concerts, cultural festivals, and sporting events.

X post about a anew feature called top 10 this week on google travel quieries — Vijay Chauhan shares a screen recording of how the new layout looks on a search results page. Source: Website Builder Expert

Am I Eligible for Travel Feeds in Search Ads?

If you currently list hotel ads on Google, you’ll be good to go, since you’ll already be using a Hotel Center account.

Google has explained that your Hotel Center account will also need to have a pricing accuracy rating of “Poor” or higher. If you don’t, your score can be raised by following the suggestions within the Hotel Center.

If your hotel data is accurate and up to date, linking your Hotel Center and Google Ads accounts will automatically begin to show your hotel’s Travel Feeds in Search Ads for relevant search queries.

I’ll continue to update you when this feature is introduced to additional industries.

Written by:

Annie Angus Writer

Annie Angus is a Writer for Website Builder Expert with a passion for shaping jargon-heavy research into digestible content. She has previously researched and written about industries ranging from tech to fashion, and now, after testing our top website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, she is enthusiastic to share her findings with our readers. With first-hand experience in utilizing social media and online marketplaces to grow a small handmade clothing business, Annie understands the priorities and concerns held by SME owners, and knows precisely what they look for in a website builder. She combines this unique perspective with her knowledge of website builders to produce engaging content spanning all areas of the small business journey, from creating a strong website to growing and maintaining an audience.