Company Book Online Link to Site

[luischavez0104]

Hi, this company has a book online link that is separate from the regular appt link that goes to their site. I thought only third party sites can add these types of links but if you wanted a link to your site it has to be under the appointment link. Does anyone know how this is possible?

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

Hi, this company has a book online link that is separate from the regular appt link that goes to their site. I thought only third party sites can add these types of links but if you wanted a link to your site it has to be under the appointment link. Does anyone know how this is possible?

Hi @luischavez0104 Without the name, address, or phone of the business on the image, it is problematic to troubleshoot. Does the link take you to the exact website of the business (domain.com/page), or does it possibly go to a subdomain (book.domain.com)?

 

[luischavez0104]

Hi @luischavez0104 Without the name, address, or phone of the business on the image, it is problematic to troubleshoot. Does the link take you to the exact website of the business (domain.com/page), or does it possibly go to a subdomain (book.domain.com)?

Here is the gbp link. The link is company.com/contact-us type url https://g.co/kgs/FR1U4V9

 

[Brian - TGL]

That is one long /contact-us URL:

/locations/groundworks-new-haven/groundworks-new-haven-branch/new-haven-contact-us/

 

[fisicx]

@luischavez0104 - that's not a booking form, it's really just a complicated contact form. And as @Brian - TGL suggested, you need to rethink your URL structures.

 

[luischavez0104]

That is one long /contact-us URL:

/locations/groundworks-new-haven/groundworks-new-haven-branch/new-haven-contact-us/

If it's going to their site and not a third party how are they able to display the link on their GBP as if it's third party?

 

[luischavez0104]

@luischavez0104 - that's not a booking form, it's really just a complicated contact form. And as @Brian - TGL suggested, you need to rethink your URL structures.

It's not one of our clients we just saw this GBP that had a booking button that went right to the site and isn't a third party link like thumbtack. I thought if it goes directly to your site the link is just the appointment center link url below and not the book online button.

 

[Stefan Somborac]

@luischavez0104 - I'm looking into this too! It would be great for businesses with a proper booking page on their site to be able to set up a "Book online" button pointing to that page.

I've found other examples:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7wt2hoxXhZjAyTz77
https://g.co/kgs/hiUy55Z
https://g.co/kgs/YMk3MWb

I've also contacted Google support on four separate help tickets but haven't gotten a useful response.

So, do I have a helpful recommendation? No.

I'm just posting so you know that you're not alone on this one!

 

[luischavez0104]

@luischavez0104 - I'm looking into this too! It would be great for businesses with a proper booking page on their site to be able to set up a "Book online" button pointing to that page.

I've found other examples:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7wt2hoxXhZjAyTz77
https://g.co/kgs/hiUy55Z
https://g.co/kgs/YMk3MWb

I've also contacted Google support on four separate help tickets but haven't gotten a useful response.

So, do I have a helpful recommendation? No.

I'm just posting so you know that you're not alone on this one!

Thank you! Glad it's not just me haha

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

@luischavez0104 - I'm looking into this too! It would be great for businesses with a proper booking page on their site to be able to set up a "Book online" button pointing to that page.

I've found other examples:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7wt2hoxXhZjAyTz77
https://g.co/kgs/hiUy55Z
https://g.co/kgs/YMk3MWb

I've also contacted Google support on four separate help tickets but haven't gotten a useful response.

So, do I have a helpful recommendation? No.

I'm just posting so you know that you're not alone on this one!

I don't know if it's a coincidence, but all of these domains are serviced by Cloudflare from what I can see (some of them block IP from outside the country - which is understandable, they protect themselves from spam). As a rule, to place such booking links on profiles, you have to be a verified partner in Google. Do you think that injecting these links into your own domains is some (intentional or not) action by Cloudflare?

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

This is very curious to me too. It has always been my understanding and our explanation to clients, that the only way to get a "book online" button (on the Knowledge Panel) or "Schedule" button on the GBP/Local Pack is through third-party integration which is coordinated directly by Google and the Google approved partner. You can enable an "appointment link" but it is just a hyperlink (that typically is much further down on the KP), not the more desired and visible button. @luischavez0104 and @Stefan Somborac, thanks for providing the examples! I'm hoping that some of the GBP gurus would chime in on this. @JS Girard @ElizabethRule ?

 

[JS Girard]

@luischavez0104 and @Stefan Somborac, thanks for providing the examples! I'm hoping that some of the GBP gurus would chime in on this. @JS Girard @ElizabethRule ?

I do not have examples on hand, but I too have on occasion seen random external links in the booking sections turn into these full-on buttons that are normally reserved for integrated partners. I want to say at least one case was in health and beauty, but I wouldn't trust my memory too much here.

We've seen it so little (and generally speaking have had so little time for actual testing/experimenting) that I haven't been able to document them, much less investigate commonalities.

 

[JS Girard]

I do not have examples on hand, but I too have on occasion seen random external links in the booking sections turn into these full-on buttons that are normally reserved for integrated partners. I want to say at least one case was in health and beauty, but I wouldn't trust my memory too much here.

We've seen it so little (and generally speaking have had so little time for actual testing/experimenting) that I haven't been able to document them, much less investigate commonalities.

One thing I can say I definitely remember noticing is that it doesn't matter what kind of link is put in. Whether it's to the most basic of "contact us" form, an actual request fro quote form, or a full-on separate appointment service (such as https://www.gorendezvous.com/, which is popular in health and Beauty here), they're seemingly all capable of turning into a big button.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

One thing I can say I definitely remember noticing is that it doesn't matter what kind of link is put in. Whether it's to the most basic of "contact us" form, an actual request fro quote form, or a full-on separate appointment service (such as https://www.gorendezvous.com/, which is popular in health and Beauty here), they're seemingly all capable of turning into a big button.

That is what I am seeing also. While the instances of non-API driven buttons are very scarce, it appear to be dependent on the vertical/industry.

 

[luischavez0104]

We are also in the foundation repair/basement waterproofing industry as some of the examples are and have not seen that option.

 

[luischavez0104]

@luischavez0104 - I'm looking into this too! It would be great for businesses with a proper booking page on their site to be able to set up a "Book online" button pointing to that page.

I've found other examples:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7wt2hoxXhZjAyTz77
https://g.co/kgs/hiUy55Z
https://g.co/kgs/YMk3MWb

I've also contacted Google support on four separate help tickets but haven't gotten a useful response.

So, do I have a helpful recommendation? No.

I'm just posting so you know that you're not alone on this one!

Hey! Has your team figured out how these certain companies are able to get the book now button linked directly to their site without a third party integration? Specifically the company we were both looking into https://share.google/sCZl1AXpZ8drG9vtV

 

[Stefan Somborac]

@luischavez0104 - No! Google support either 1.) didn't answer the question or 2.) said that it would just take time for their systems to crawl the site, recognize the booking page, and enable the "Book now" button automatically. I don't think that's true.

 

[luischavez0104]

@luischavez0104 - No! Google support either 1.) didn't answer the question or 2.) said that it would just take time for their systems to crawl the site, recognize the booking page, and enable the "Book now" button automatically. I don't think that's true.

Ok thank you! Got the same type of response on my end. We tried applying to be a partner but it was rejected.