When you’re running PPC campaigns in the hotel industry, it’s not just about getting clicks – it’s about getting real bookings. With so many numbers in your Google Ads dashboard, it can be hard to know what matters. Here are the 10 most important PPC metrics marketers should be tracking to drive real bookings and revenue.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR shows how many people who saw your ad clicked it. A strong CTR (5%+ for brand campaigns, 2%+ for generic) means your ads are relevant and engaging.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
This tells you how much you’re paying for each click. Keeping CPCs low helps stretch your budget further, especially for long-running campaigns.
Impression Share
This shows how often your ads appear compared to how often they were eligible to appear. A low impression share may mean your competitors (or OTAs) are showing more frequently.
Search Lost IS (Budget & Rank)
This metric highlights how many impressions you lost due to limited budget or low ad rank. If you’re losing too much here, you may need to improve your ad quality or raise your bids during peak booking periods.
Conversions (Bookings or Leads)
Whether it’s a direct booking, a form submission, or a call, this is what matters most. Make sure your conversion tracking is accurate and only counting meaningful actions.
Cost Per Conversion (CPA)
How much does it cost to get a booking? A healthy CPA for hotels is often lower than the commission you’d pay to an OTA (typically 15 – 20%).
Conversion Rate
This tells you what percentage of people who clicked your ad completed a booking or goal. Strong conversion rates (5%+ for brand terms) mean your ads and landing pages are doing their job.
Booking Value / Revenue
Tracking the revenue from your PPC bookings helps determine true campaign ROI. High average booking values can justify slightly higher CPCs.
Device Performance
Check how your ads perform across mobile and desktop. Many users start searching on mobile but convert on desktop adjusting bids based on device can improve efficiency.
Top Locations
For hotels targeting multiple regions, it’s important to know where your best traffic and bookings are coming from. This helps allocate budget more effectively.
Final Thoughts
In the hotel industry, PPC isn’t just about driving traffic, it’s about capturing intent and turning it into direct revenue. By focusing on these 10 key metrics, you can move beyond vanity numbers and build campaigns that consistently bring in guests without overpaying OTAs to do it.
At Sprint Digital, we specialise in hotel PPC campaigns that deliver measurable results. Whether you’re looking to improve visibility, reduce OTA costs, or drive more direct bookings, our team can help.
Interested to learn more?
Read our PPC guide on manual bidding vs smart bidding or how to interpret your PPC data.
Need guidance to improve your hotel’s PPC performance?
Contact us today to learn how we can help you grow your direct bookings and make your ad budget work harder.
