The British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association (BCLCA) highlights how its use of Google’s Ad Grant program is driving visibility and direct bookings for members through Travel-British-Columbia.com.
The initiative combines targeted AdWords campaigns with booking link integration to capture travelers at the moment they are planning trips.
The Google Ad Grant provides qualifying non-profits with up to CA$10,000 per month in in-kind AdWords advertising. For BCLCA, that translates into sustained exposure on Google without drawing from member dues, placing listings directly in front of travelers searching for accommodations in British Columbia.
Campaign data from July 2025 indicates that while paid search accounted for a smaller share of overall website traffic compared to organic search, it produced higher engagement. Paid search visitors showed an 84.36% engagement rate, compared with 70.39% for organic visitors.
This suggests that paid search is bringing in fewer users, but those users are more qualified. They tend to spend more time on the site, click through to member listings, and ultimately convert into bookings.
Google Analytics data also highlights the importance of having a booking link within member listings. In July, Travel-British-Columbia.com generated 6,653 external clicks to member websites. Of those, 2,743 were direct booking clicks, representing 41% of all outbound traffic.
Listings featuring booking links also outperformed others by a wide margin. Conversion rates on “Book Now” buttons reached 26.45%, compared with 10.91% for standard website links.
Year-over-year figures underscore this trend. In July 2024, direct booking clicks totaled 1,352. By July, that figure more than doubled to 2,743. The growth reflects a broader consumer shift toward direct online booking and illustrates the tangible benefits for members who activate the feature.
Travel-British-Columbia.com remains one of the province’s most visited tourism platforms, recording over 35,000 visitors in July alone. Each of these visitors represents a potential customer for lodging and campground operators across the province.
