As part of the BookDirect.Education Legal and Legislative Team efforts, we have a unique opportunity and need your help ASAP.
Meet Allyson Cavaretta: 
Allyson Cavaretta is part of the owning family at the Meadowmere Resort in Ogunquit, Maine, an independent hotel founded in 1983. She has served on the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce Board and is a member of the University of Notre Dame Business Council, of which she is a graduate. She sits on the Hospitality Maine Board of Directors, Government Affairs, and has received formal recognition from the Maine State Legislature, of which she has been a candidate for State Representative. Greg Dugal, Director of Government Affairs at Hospitality Maine, along with Lisa from Acorn Internet Services and Allyson connected with the Congressional House Majority Counsel on Telecom Meagan Sunn in September of this year to discuss concerns with Google in the travel space. As a result Allyson has been asked to appear before the Congressional House Committee on Small Business on November 14, 2019.
Allyson will be providing a sneak-peak of her presentation to our industry on Friday, November 1, 2019 via a webinar. 11:00 PAC, Noon MTN, 1:00 CEN, 2:00 EST. If you’d like to attend the webinar, please register below.
Allyson has been given a unique opportunity to share how changes in search is impacting to Lodging Properties as part of the small business discussion. As such we have the opportunity to provide her data that demonstrates ongoing concerns with search, particularly the 2019 changes in the Google product suite – and to have that data given directly to those who can assist us with our concerns.
We are looking to have everyone sign a petition by November 1, 2019, to show your support of this effort. Click the link below to do so, and if you also have data to share, please continue below to do so.
It is our desire to provide hard statistics from each Inn willing to participate. This is your chance to share the impact that Google’s changes are having on Organic traffic, which continues to decline in lieu of Zero Click results, Local Knowledge Graph Displays where the OTA have control and a variety of Pay to Play options – and so much more that Google has put into play since releasing their GMB (Google My Business) program in June of 2014 and that harms Inns and Bed and Breakfasts across the US.
Here’s your Chance to Make a Difference!
Association Leaders – Please get this word out to your member inns and have them watch the instructional on how to obtain and share their Google Analytics data for Allyson to include in her written documentation. The more people who can share, the more strength our concerns will carry.
Individual Inn Owners – Please complete the following steps to share your Google Analytics Data which will be compiled anonymously, only indicating City and State of the Inn’s residence, into a report that Allyson can include in her documentation.
Step 1: Watch the following Video
Step 2: Complete the Survey with the information you have gathered. CLICK HERE TO SHARE YOUR DATA
This information will be provided with only the City and State as a reference when presented to Congress on November 14, 2019.
Have Questions? Need Help?
Contact the Legal and Legislative BookDirect.Education Team Lead, Robin Stauffer, at rstauffer1@mac.com
I submitted our google source/medium numbers for St. Augustine Historic Inns for the dates requested.
However, afterward I broke it down to Jan 1 – June 30 – 16,338 for 2019, and 11,555 for 2018, and July 1 – Sept 30 – 5258 for 2019, and 6437 for 2018. The reason I used those dates to compare is that we launched a new website soon after July 1, 2019. So the new Association website is not doing as well as the old Association Website.
Last year Google changed the layout of Bed & Breakfast listings. Previously, people searching for B&B’s in Richmond VA would scroll down past the paid advertisements to find my listing, which they could easily click to make an online reservation. When I suddenly started getting a lot of phone calls, including phone calls from repeat guests, saying that the website told them to call, I found that Google had two white-on-white buttons for clicking on “website” or “get directions” and a bright blue button that would give them the option of booking with Google. I do NOT use any OTAs, so the message then is to call the location.
I feel very strongly that Google should NOT be an OTA. They have disrupted my business.