Google Listings Now Feature Messaging

Travelers can send text messages to hotels directly from their search results.

Sending a “Message” is the newest call-to-action in Google’s My Business listing on mobile. Not only is this a free opportunity for you to connect with potential guests, but it is a more important new and direct channel for conversion from Google. Logically, when someone searches for a hotel, they are looking for more information of some sort. In a traveler’s search and evaluation stage, easily answering that vital question “Is breakfast included?” could be the difference between getting a direct booking and losing out: especially in today’s mobile-first world.

In our recent study on travelers’ preferred communication channels, we uncovered many stats about travelers: 2 out of 3 would rather communicate through written messages than over the phone, 75% of travelers want to communicate 1:1 with representatives at the hotel, and guests are significantly more satisfied when communicating through text messages and social-media compared to those who do not.

Get the new “Message” button

Google now lets customers message you. By responding to them, hotels can answer their questions, tell their story, and attract more people to their location. All that’s needed is to sign into the hotel’s Google My Business page, navigate to the chat tile - if available - and turn it on. Then just verify the contact number, add a welcome message, and include a reasonable average response time.

Support chat from Google

If you’re already utilizing a guest messaging service, like TrustYou Messaging (or would like to try it now), integrating this feature is seamless and involves almost no effort to set it up. Just use the number provided in TrustYou Messaging as the number in the setup described above. Then manage these messages from your single inbox alongside your emails, SMS messages, Webchats, Facebook Messages, and your messages coming from Amazon Alexa.
In addition to the new feature in Google My Business, we have already collected 5 Ways to Step Up Your Listing on Google’s hotel finder. Don’t forget that Google also supplies some valuable tips: be responsive, avoid private data, and get more traffic to your hotel website!