Find a hotel or a guest house and book directly on Google ? This is now possible with the new developments of its accommodation search page which offers an increasingly integrated route to the Internet user.. For hosts, it will be difficult not to untie the purse to appear there in good conditions …
It's still difficult for Google to take the plunge and become a full-fledged OTA; that is to say, behave like an online agency and offer direct booking from its search engine. Why ? Because Google lives on advertising and its main advertisers are Booking and Expedia (who spend more than 9 Billions $ per year in keyword purchases). Becoming their competitor would therefore imply, for Google, cut yourself off from this financial windfall … even if the financial gains, Moreover, could be colossal !
However, the world's first search engine, knows very well that it must offer its users an accommodation search experience worthy of the name. By typing the name of a hotel, an Internet user is no longer satisfied with seeing a list of links to click on: he wants to see prices, pictures, comments, cards, etc … and why not book without leaving Google !
To spare both parties (its users who want a better hotel search experience) and its advertisers (OTAs who do not want Google to compete with them fiercely), the search engine voluntarily moved forward in small steps by gradually evolving its hotel presentation page.
This week, on his blog, however, Google has announced new developments in its hotel search which promise to be truly ambitious in terms of user experience..
As seen below, the search will begin by entering departure and arrival dates and the possibility of indicating an average budget. You will note, that in addition to hotels, Google announces to its users that it can also offer vacation rentals to its users” (Vacations rentales are also available …).
Once the hotel has been chosen, it will now be possible to access a complete page (produced by Google) where all the useful information is gathered (in tab form) to find out everything about the hotel in question without having to leave the search engine:
A price comparison is offered based on advertisements purchased by the main OTAs or the hotel itself (ici, nothing is free …):
Because 76% of Internet users do not book without relying on the opinions of other customers, Google now displays a complete picture of what is said about the hotel (or the guest house) on the main OTAs:
However, the most striking fact of these developments is that the reservation (even if it is carried out, in the end, via an OTA) will systematically go through Google. The customer will give his bank card (or pay with Google Pay, the in-house search engine system) and he can even contact the services directly “Hôtel” from Google in the event of a problem with your reservation:
Such a device will be duplicated, without a doubt, for plane reservations and activities to do on site (see our article on TouringBird).
With these new developments, Google does the splits : it offers its users a fully integrated booking experience without cutting themselves off from the advertising bonanza of OTAs. By passing the reservation through its payment system, Google also manages to better track customer data and offer them, afterwards, other products such as activities or car rental when he is on site or, better, before departure, the best plane or train prices to get to your destination.
With all these developments and the promotion of even better integrated services, Google becomes the perfect travel companion for Internet users around the world. Thanks to its telephones which equip 85% inhabitants of the planet, the Californian firm should accompany all trips and derive some additional benefits. With one reservation : only tourism players will be offered who will have the means to pay for an advertising presence there. …
Thomas D.
Source: https://blog.elloha.com/2018/11/03/google-de-plus-en-plus-1er-vendeur-dhotels/