By Margaret Mastrogiacomo, EVP Strategy
The world of hospitality digital marketing is always changing, and the key to success is staying ahead of the curve. This month, the latest digital innovations include Google testing search results without URLs, the benefits of being GDPR-compliant, and the colors that will be making a splash in 2020 design. From SEO to design, find out the top five things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing to make sure your hotel is ready to reach your next guest.
 1. SEO: Google is testing search results without URLs. Recently, Google has been testing completely removing URLs from search results in favor of only displaying the website name. After the introduction of breadcrumbs a few months ago, Google has been slowly moving away from showing full URLs, which are currently only visible to select users. Normally, the URL shows beneath the title, which often includes the name of the website. While Google continues to test, it’s important to keep a pulse on this change. Though it is not certain if Google will adopt this change across the platform, if it does roll out search-engine-wide, your SEO team should monitor its impact on CTR and organic traffic.
2. SEM: Google Ads is testing new lead-form extensions. This new lead-form extension is designed to attract customers with a compelling call-to-action that can only be accessed after filling out a lead form. Advertisers can customize lead forms with their own titles and descriptions, and indicate which information they wish to acquire from customers, such as name, email, postal code, and phone number. Advertisers can also design and upload their own background images for their lead forms and customize the messages that appear after customers submit their information. The lead-form extension can be utilized to promote an exclusive offer and provides a great opportunity to test for meetings, weddings, and group travel. This feature is currently in beta and should become more widely available over the next five to six months.
3. Display: GDPR-compliant companies are outperforming peers across a wide range of metrics. By now, hotel brands have ensured that they are GDPR compliant. However, according to a new report from Capgemini, the impact of GDPR goes beyond user privacy. Compliance with the EU’s GDPR has yielded a range of positive benefits, including increased consumer trust, better customer engagement, and revenue growth. Overall, the research revealed that GDPR-compliant organizations have outperformed companies that are non-compliant by an average of 20%.
4. Social Media: Facebook is changing how it measures organic Page impressions to be more closely aligned to paid ads. Last week, Facebook announced the way it measures organic Page impressions will more closely align with the methodology it uses for ads. What does this mean for hotel marketers? It makes it easier for hotel brands to make comparisons across paid and organic channels when measuring metrics like reach and engagement. Facebook counts an ad impression by the number of times an instance of an ad is on screen for the first time. For instance, if an ad is on screen and someone scrolls down and then back up to the same ad, that counts as one impression. However, if an ad is on screen for someone two different times in a day, that counts as two impressions.In the coming months, while organic posts on your hotel’s Facebook Page may encounter a dip in impressions, engagement metrics should not be affected, and your social team should take the opportunity to more closely compare performance between paid and organic efforts.
5. Design: These trending colors are set to make a splash in 2020. As the new year quickly approaches, do you know which design colors are trending? The design palette usually follows fashion trends and colors that make it to the runway. Here’s a quick rundown of the colors that will make a splash in 2020:
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- Neo-Mint: This soothing shade of green evolves from the popularity of soft pastels, established by Millennial Pink.
- Mellow Yellow: After being a popular trend in fashion design, yellow is set to hit mass appeal in 2020 with this deeper, more grounded hue, which taps into the ongoing popularity of baked, earthy tones.
- Cassis: Cassis fuses the pinks and purples that have made such a huge impact over recent seasons, capturing both the gender-neutral appeal of pink and the modern appeal of purple.
While embracing your hotel’s brand guidelines and color palette is key for a cohesive presence across digital channels, don’t miss out on subtle opportunities to sneak in playful pops of these trending colors.
