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A Smarter Way to Drive Bookings: 50%+ ROI with Cost per Search
A shocking number of your “Book Now” ad clicks are likely disappearing into thin air. We discovered this firsthand, and the results were eye-opening.
Our “Aha!” Moment: The Case of the Vanishing Clicks
Like many airports, we were creating stunning ads, showcasing picture-perfect destinations and convenient routes, all with shiny “Book Now” buttons. Clicks were rolling in, and we were feeling pretty good. More clicks, more interest, right?
Wrong.
We integrated FlyMyAirport’s technology to track actual searches and bookings linked to our ads. What we found was shocking: 80% of those “Book Now” clicks weren’t leading to anything. Travelers were clicking, but not booking. Not even searching for flights! Poof! Gone.
The Turning Point: Cost Per Search (CPS) vs. Cost Per Click (CPC)
We knew we needed a better way. We needed to find those truly undecided travelers, the ones who were more likely to actually search for a flight from our airport.
Our hunch? Use data to guide our ads. We started feeding flight search data back into our advertising platforms, optimizing campaigns based on “harder conversions” – actual searches, clicks on specific airlines, and real purchases.
The Results: More Than Double the Impact
By focusing on “cost-per-search” (CPS) instead of just “cost-per-click” (CPC), we significantly reduced wasted ad spend. We were essentially teaching the algorithms to find truly interested travelers.
The impact? We more than tripled our effectiveness in getting travelers to actually search for flights from our ads.
| Before (Optimized for $/Click) | After (Optimized for $/Search) | Index vs. Before | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad Clicks Per 10,000 Impressions | 122 | 83 | 67 |
| Searches Per Ad Click (%) | 19% | 86% | 452 |
| Searches Per 10,000 Impressions | 23 | 72 | 313 |
| Cost Per Search ($) | $2.04 | $0.95 | 47 |
A Game-Changer for Airport Marketing
This is a big deal for our industry. For too long, we’ve relied on “traditional” ad clicks as the main measure of success. But clicks alone don’t tell the whole story. By focusing on real results, we can create more effective campaigns that actually drive bookings.