Metasearch Engine

Term from Boutique Hotels industry explained for recruiters

A Metasearch Engine is a tool that helps hotels and travel businesses reach more customers by showing their rooms and rates across multiple booking websites at once. Instead of checking many different travel sites separately, customers can compare prices from sites like Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com all in one place. For hotels, especially boutique properties, using metasearch engines like Trivago, Kayak, or Google Hotel Ads helps them appear in more places where travelers are looking to book rooms. It's like having your hotel displayed in multiple store windows at the same time, making it easier for potential guests to find and compare your offerings.

Examples in Resumes

Managed Metasearch Engine campaigns resulting in 40% increase in direct bookings

Optimized hotel listings across multiple Metasearch Engine platforms

Coordinated pricing strategy across various Metasearch Engines to maximize room occupancy

Typical job title: "Metasearch Managers"

Also try searching for:

Digital Marketing Manager Revenue Manager Distribution Manager Online Marketing Specialist Hotel Marketing Manager Channel Manager E-commerce Manager

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you develop a metasearch strategy for a group of boutique hotels with limited budget?

Expected Answer: Look for answers showing experience in budget allocation, understanding of different metasearch platforms' ROI, and ability to prioritize channels based on target market and return on investment.

Q: How do you measure the success of metasearch campaigns?

Expected Answer: Candidate should mention tracking metrics like cost per click, conversion rates, booking revenue, return on ad spend (ROAS), and direct booking increases versus OTA bookings.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What factors do you consider when setting bid prices for different metasearch platforms?

Expected Answer: Should discuss seasonality, competition, room availability, target markets, and platform-specific performance data.

Q: How do you maintain rate parity across different booking channels?

Expected Answer: Should explain monitoring tools, strategies for maintaining consistent pricing, and handling discrepancies between channels.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the main metasearch platforms in the hotel industry?

Expected Answer: Should be able to identify major platforms like Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, Kayak, and TripAdvisor, and basic understanding of how they work.

Q: How do metasearch engines help hotels get more bookings?

Expected Answer: Should explain how metasearch increases visibility, helps price comparison, and can drive direct bookings to hotel websites.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic understanding of hotel distribution channels
  • Monitoring metasearch campaign performance
  • Content management for hotel listings
  • Basic rate management

Mid (2-4 years)

  • Campaign optimization across platforms
  • Budget management
  • Performance analysis and reporting
  • Rate strategy implementation

Senior (4+ years)

  • Strategic channel distribution
  • Advanced revenue management
  • Team leadership
  • Multi-property campaign management

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No knowledge of major hotel booking channels
  • Lack of understanding of hotel pricing and revenue management
  • No experience with digital marketing metrics
  • Unable to explain basic hotel distribution concepts