Book On Google for hotels to shut after low take up
You would be right in thinking that Google has fingers in nearly every pie. But not everything that Google does, works. And so it was announced in February 2022 that Google will shut down its “Book on Google” option for hotels as of May 25 due to low usage from both partners and customers.
Back in 2015, Google launched the option to book through its platform, aimed at helping hotels and online travel agencies who didn’t have websites optimised for mobile web which, at the time, was beginning to overtake desktops for internet usage.
However, the world has changed since 2015 and in today’s fast-paced world of technology, there’s almost no excuse for hotels and travel agencies NOT to have their websites optimised for mobile. Additionally, whilst customers might see the hotel on Google first, there is a direct preference for them to book directly with the hotel or the travel agent.
A Google spokesperson commented “When we first launched Book on Google for hotels, we wanted to give users an easier way to complete their bookings, whilst also driving more conversions for our partners. But over time, we’ve seen that most people prefer to book directly on partner websites, whether through the hotel itself or with an OTA (Online Travel Agent). So this May, we’ll be shutting down the Book on Google feature for hotels as we continue investing in broader improvements to our hotel search product.”
In March 2021 Google eliminated fees for hotel booking links, so hotels and online travel agencies could appear in the price comparison tool without the need to be a paid advertiser.
The company says the response to that change was been positive and “users are engaging more with the content, and all partner types – from OTAs to individual hotels – are seeing benefits through increase traffic, when compared to the prior ads-only experience.”
In contrast, the spokesperson says Book on Google has had low usage from both partners and consumers. When asked if interest in Book on Google has dropped since the free booking links launched last year, Google would not comment but says the company has shifted resources to focus on the booking link integrations.
“Our product philosophy is centered around creating the best possible experience for people who are exploring and researching travel. If we find that a particular feature isn’t serving that goal, then we’ll adjust accordingly.”
Google would not share data regarding numbers of partners that began using Book on Google when it launched in 2015 or how many are using it today, nor would it share details on consumer usage of the links.
Partners that offer the Book on Google link remain the merchant for the booking, but the reservation and payment information is captured in a Google-hosted form and then passed directly to the partner.
The company has begun informing partners that the option will be eliminated in late May but says it expects minimal impact since engagement was low. Those that did use Book on Google will see their existing campaigns convert to standard landing page links.
