You may have noticed some rather unique booking features which appeared directly in your Google search while you were planning your last getaway. Now, Google’s latest booking feature looks set to be a total game changer for service based companies that regularly rely on reservations and appointments; They’re calling it “Reserve With Google”. In the not so distant future, people who search for your brand will not only have the opportunity to view your availability DIRECTLY from a Google search but they’ll also be able to make a booking right there and then.
Well, first of all, you’re going to need an account with a scheduling service provider. Google currently offers official integrations with 22 providers and this is something they’re continuing to build on with 7 other “scheduling providers” in the pipeline (at the time of writing). Of course, by the time these feature make it to our shores, we may see a different figure all together.
If the setup in the US is anything to go by, it’s likely that this will be an opt-in feature which can be found under your “Google My Business” account. It looks to be as simple as signing up, logging in with your chosen booking provider and boom, you’re all set! As an added benefit, you’ll also have access to reporting tools that will show you exactly how much this booking integration feature has generated for your business!
Of course, we’re still unsure about the specifics as Google is just getting warmed up. How it’s going to look for people who make more generic searches such as “dentists in Brisbane” will also be an interesting revelation. Will we see some sort of integration with AdWords where we’ll have to ‘bid for the button’? We can’t say for sure just yet but when it does arrive it sure seems like an opportunity that simply can’t be missed