Stay22's tools have not only made our visitors happier, but they've also had a massive impact on our revenue streams. The data speaks for itself—our booking confirmations have consistently increased since we adopted Stay22. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Conversion Rate Increase: Thanks to the extended cookie window and smart AI-driven pop-ups, we saw a 30% increase in conversions (bookings), without any edits to the content itself.
- Revenue Increase: Affiliate earnings have surged by 400% within just one year, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Stay22 not only boosted our commissions but also diversified them by connecting us with multiple accommodation partners.
From January to June 2023, we had 299 bookings, which brought in $2,801 in commission. In the same period in 2024, we had 731 bookings and earned $13,319 in commission. Sure, we worked on the content over the year, so not everything can be attributed to Stay22. But check this out: we had 144% more bookings with 375% more in commissions! 🤯
Here is a proof: screenshot directly from my Stay22 dashboard:
What does that mean? It means people booked longer or more expensive stays overall. And it makes sense—when you're considering a more expensive vacation, you need a bit more time to think and explore. You might not make the reservation until 2-3 hours later. When we were working directly with the OTA’s session-based model, it was already too late for us. But with Stay22, we capture those conversions too. ✌️
In the past year, our blog's monthly affiliate income from accommodation bookings has skyrocketed—from around 10,000 CZK (400 EUR) to between 60,000 and 80,000 CZK (3200 EUR). This staggering 400% boost is all thanks to our integration with Stay22—a platform that offered tools we didn't even realize we needed until we saw the results. Let me take you through exactly how Stay22 transformed our monetization game.
The Biggest Added Value I See
Before diving deeper into how the platform works and how we use it, here's a quick TL;DR. Initially, we worked directly with a major OTA (we're among the few who got into their direct affiliate program), but due to their conditions (users had to book immediately after clicking, with no cookie saved in the browser—meaning it was session-based), we never made significant money, even though our content quality and traffic were decent.
Stay22, however, offers a 24-hour cookie for the same OTA. This means that when a user clicks through from our site, a cookie is stored in their browser, and if they book accommodation within 24 hours, we get the conversion and earn a commission (assuming they actually use the booking). Just this feature alone boosted our conversions by at least 30% without us having to change a single word of content.
Stay22 also comes with a set of tools that operate without my intervention and bring in additional conversions:
- Automatic Pop-ups: These pop-ups automatically open accommodation offers in the background when Stay22 believes the user is ready to book something.
- Automatic Affiliate Link Adjustments: Stay22 ensures users never click on a hotel that's already sold out. It adjusts the affiliate links dynamically.
- Beautiful Embedded Maps: We can embed beautiful maps showing available accommodations in a specific area, making it much easier for readers to visualize their options.
- Automatic Affiliate Links in Articles: Stay22's script automatically inserts affiliate links into articles where it thinks it's suitable (and it works great!).
Here is a chart with total commission generated from our content (directly from my own revenue spreadsheet). Can you guess when we added Stay22? ✌️
Transitioning from a major OTA to Stay22 – How Painful Is It?
This is a question every travel blogger worries about. But don’t sweat it—it’s a breeze! 😆 If you already have affiliate links from major OTAs on your site, you don’t need to do anything complicated. You just add the Stay22 script, and it takes care of everything.
The links are "translated" into their own links on-the-fly, which has one major benefit: if for some reason Stay22 doesn't function correctly, your original OTA link remains in the article. This alone saves us a few conversions each month. 🙏
So really, switching takes about five minutes—just enough time to add the script. It also doesn’t matter if you use a cloaking mechanism for affiliate links (such as a plugin like BetterLinks or ThirstyAffiliates)—you can just reach out to Stay22, and they’ll customize the script for you for free.
In any case, I recommend continuing to add OTA affiliate links (if you’re able) after implementing Stay22. You can easily use both.
Stay22 Nova AI: The Real Game-Changer
I have to admit, when I first heard about Nova AI, I was skeptical. AI-driven pop-ups and recommendations? It sounded too good to be true. But after implementing it, the results spoke for themselves.
Nova AI works behind the scenes, quietly analyzing reader behavior. It looks at how readers interact with our blog—where they scroll, how long they stay on certain sections, and what content catches their attention. From this, it figures out the exact moment to offer accommodation suggestions through pop-ups. These aren't just any pop-ups, either. They're highly targeted, contextually relevant suggestions that feel natural rather than intrusive.
Nova personalizes the recommendations based on what it knows about the reader—whether they're skimming through or showing genuine interest in a location. It feels like we're offering a concierge service, where each reader gets suggestions tailor-made for them. And guess what? It boosts your conversions 😀
Conclusion: Stay22, A Game-Changer for Blog Monetization
Honestly, we never thought our earnings could grow this drastically. If you're a content creator trying to maximize your affiliate earnings from travel bookings, Stay22 is something you need to look at.
Their features aren't just bells and whistles—they're powerful tools that have a real impact on your bottom line. We've seen it firsthand with our 400% increase.