Closes “Book on Google” for Hotels

The "Book on Google" option for hotels closes from May 25 due to low usage by partners and consumers.

Launched by Google in 2015 to facilitate transactions for hotels and online travel agencies whose websites were not optimized for mobile Web, which at that time was starting to surpass desktops for Internet use, Google closes the option due to low usage on May 25th.

The partners offering the Book on Google link remain, but reservation and payment information are acquired through a form hosted by Google and then transmitted directly to the partner.

“But over time, we’ve seen that most people prefer to book directly on the partners’ websites, either through the hotel itself or with an OTA. Therefore, in May, we will close the Book on Google feature for hotels while continuing to invest in broader improvements to our hotel search product”.

Almost a year ago, in March 2021, Google eliminated booking link commissions, so that hotels and online travel agencies could appear in the price comparison tool without the need to be a paid advertiser.

The company states that the response to this change has been positive and that “users interact more with the content and all types of partners, from OTAs to individual hotels, are seeing benefits thanks to increased traffic, compared to the previous ad-only experience”.

Conversely, the spokesperson states that Book on Google has experienced low usage by both partners and consumers. When asked if interest in Book on Google has decreased since the free booking links were launched last year, Google did not comment but said the company has shifted resources to focus on booking link integrations.

Google will not share data regarding the number of partners who started using Book on Google when it was launched in 2015 or how many use it today, nor will it share details about consumer link usage.

The company has begun informing partners that the option will be eliminated by the end of May but expects minimal impact as engagement has been low. Those who have used Book on Google will see their existing campaigns converted into links to standard landing pages.

In September, Google updated its tour, activity, and attractions search and booking feature with the “Things to Do” launch. This new offering, with free and paid booking links from a wide range of merchants, replaced “Book with Google,” which had only one merchant for booking each tour or attraction.

(source Phocuswire)