Interesting Google Hotel Stats

[taramoar]

Ramada Jarvis had a meeting with Google who shared some interesting travel stats with us:

• Hotel searches most likely to occur on Tuesdays, followed by Mondays and Thursdays
• 52%- users purchasing at hotel sites began their search process with a non-branded search term
• 13 - searches prior to first hotel booking transaction (average)
• 26 - site visits prior to first hotel booking transaction (average)
• 28 - days from first search to first hotel booking transaction (average)
• 47%- purchases online happen after 4 weeks from first search day
• strong growth in both brand and destination terms (19% and 15% respectively)
• query growth is highest in longer queries, with 3 to 5 worded queries growing twice as fast as shorter queries.

Hope this helps your campaigns
Tara

[morleymouse]

Originally Posted by taramoar • 47%- purchases online happen after 4 weeks from first search day

and only a 30 day cookie?

[getvisible]

great info Tara!

48% of began their search with brands.

I wonder what proportion was the last search?

it just supports my view that with the long research time that Search Marketing shouldn't involve affiliate tracking as content cookies will be over-written by brand-opportunism.

oh and Dan's got a great point!

I'll go hide again - but thanks for sharing the information.

Do you know the research period for financial products?

[taramoar]

Dan that is the first thing we thought of! Why are cookies in general set to 30 days? I believe this data could be generally applied to all sectors so where did this 30 day business come from? I remember when lifetime or 999 day cookies were a big thing but cookies seem to have dropped in importance when it clearly should be a stronger part of the entire offering.

In any case we've asked Ramada to consider adjusting their cookie period and will let you know what we can come up with.

Sorry Lee I don't have the same for finance.

Tara

[kidlewis]

Originally Posted by taramoar • 47%- purchases online happen after 4 weeks from first search day

That figure surprised me a little bit. Mainly because I myself have never booked a hotel anytime longer than 4 weeks. As a package maybe but never just a room in a hotel.

As Dan pointed out the 30 day cookie and the statistic above certainly causes a bit of a worry.

It is a rarity now but some merchants do offer 60 day cookies. I can't quote any off the top of my head but I am certain I have seen it on merchants Ts&Cs on affiliate sites.