Natural search the way forward?

THE travel industry has been warned against allowing the search engines to hold them "hostage" over pay-per-click listing.
Great Hotels Organisation chief executive Peter Gould urged the travel industry to concentrate on natural searches instead of the pay-per-click sponsored listings.
Gould admitted he does participate in the paid-for listings to support his natural search campaign. However, he expressed concern at the focus on the paid for listing telling delegates at the Travel Technology Initiative that natural searches are "half the cost but create double the business".
Gould feared pay-per-click prices could dramatically increase or the search engines could start to even charge for natural listings.
"Consumers want natural searches not pay-per-click," he said. "If companies do not take part in natural search then they face being held hostage by the search engines."
"We must do this as an industry so the search engines do not hold us to ransom."
Google UK head of travel Daniel Robb said the search engine had no control over the price of keywords. However, he did admit that he "retreats to the natural listings over the PPC listings as they are more relevant".
Meanwhile, Teletext on TV managing director Nishma Patel dismissed the role of search engines in selling travel- rather astounding bearing in mind the amount of usage they get in locating travel products and brands. She said consumers only book with well-known brands....she's obviously never come across e-Bay, which carries some 700 unbranded holidays, many put together by consumers, every day.