TripAdvisor has come out significantly ahead of other Expedia Inc brands in a study about which hotel-related sites are most visible within Google UK natural search results. The study by digital media agency Greenlight Search found that 5.6 million searches were generated this March from a selection of 1,200 hotel sector key terms. The rankings are based…
Tripadvisor dominates Google for hotel searches
TripAdvisor has come out significantly ahead of other Expedia Inc brands in a study about which hotel-related sites are most visible within Google UK natural search results.
The study by digital media agency Greenlight Search found that 5.6 million searches were generated this March from a selection of 1,200 hotel sector key terms.
The rankings are based on a site’s presence on the first page of Google for the term.
TripAdvisor.co.uk was identified as the most visible website, appearing on 42% of all searches. However, the most visible site in the flights category, Cheapflights, had visibility of 100%. Six flights sites had a stronger showing in their sector than the hotel market leader.
However, tripadvisor.com also did well in the hotel search rankings made the hotel search ranking, coming in fifth on the list with 26%.
Expedia.co.uk was only visible on 4% of pages, while hotels.co.uk was not named in the top 60 sites. The cut-off point is 2%.
Laterooms.com was the highest place agent, achieving 32% and second place. Orbitz Worldwide’s hotelclub.net was next at 28%. Booking.com, widely seen as the leading accommodation-only business in Europe, finished outside the top ten with a visibility ranking of 9%.
While some airline dotcoms appeared in the flights category ranking, hotel chain web sites fare badly. Hilton.co.uk and Marriott.com lead the way with 5% and 6% respectively.
The study offers an indication into which destinations were searched for in March, although Greenlight acknowledged seasonality would be a factor.
The most searched for regions were Northern Europe (including the UK) and continental Europe with 33% and 27% respectively of all searches.
The most used term was ‘Paris hotels’ which on its own accounted for 8% of searches. New York was the most searched for destination outside of the Uk and continental Europe.
More information:
* Greenlight Search flight report
