MediaPost Publications TripAdvisor, Hotwire Top Travel Site Ads, Study Shows 04/15/2014.

“Ads can succeed several ways, whether they engage through a relevant message or empathy,” he said. “A straightforward approach as to what makes Trivago different than other search travel sites seems to work for the site.” Josh Berger, research director at Phoenix Marketing International.

The Research identifies Trivago advertisement “The Perfect Hotel” as the top-performing message. More than 55% of leisure and 50% of business travelers said they would recommend the site to others.

Google did not rank within the first five sites, while TripAdvisor and Hotwire still lead in their category.

Overall, Hotwire took the No. 2 and No. 3 spot among leisure travelers, with its ad From New York to Texas ranking No. 1 with the highest recall at 81%, followed by its Florida to Seattle ad with 79%. Expedia and Priceline rounded out the top five overall spots for leisure travelers, respectively.

Another insight is that leisure travelers are more concerned with saving money, while business travelers look for conveniences.

Business travelers ranked Hotwire No. 2 and Hotels.com, No. 3, with Kayak and Expedia following in that order. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice & Captain Obvious, had the highest recall among business travelers.