Google Launches Local Restaurant Delivery & Appointment Booking

[Linda Buquet]

Wow big news and exciting new Google Local features rolling out today.

Local business orders and appointments

Google Search and Google Maps make it easy to order food delivery, reserve tables, and book appointments with select businesses found on Google. When this feature is enabled on a business’s Google My Business dashboard, users will see a link to a third-party booking and ordering service, like seamless.com, where they can complete their order or reserve their table.

You can read the rest of the help doc above.

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But below is additional info I got direct from Google.

Google is gradually rolling out the option to "Place an order" on some local restaurant results from Google Search. It will only show up for restaurants who are working with the partners who are included at launch. When it does show up, users will be able to tap Place an order, then choose a delivery service, and then be taken to their website to place an order.

This will only be visible on mobile and in the US for the time being, with plans to roll it out more widely soon. We have more information about this for business owners in our Help Center.

Which partners are included at launch?
Grubhub, Eat24, Delivery.com, BeyondMenu and MyPizza.com

We'll add more partners gradually. Content partners can express interest in joining the program using this form.

Can a business owner add a custom action link or request inclusion?
No, right now, business owners cannot add custom links. If a business has an existing relationship with one of our content partners, action links to that partner should appear for that business.

Can a business owner request the removal of an action link?
Merchants can reach out to our merchant support (Help Center link) and our support staff will assist in removing the action link from their business listing.

What if multiple providers have content for the same business?
If ordering from a restaurant is possible via more than one provider, the results will include all providers — when you tap the “Place an order” link, all available merchants will show.

Are Google Login and/or Wallet requirements for this feature?
No, these are not requirements.

So that's all I know right now.

Jade is getting ready to do a post at the Google forum. I'll link to that when it's live.

And I have commentary to add, but wanted to share the basics 1st.

Spread the word and share this post!

What do you think???
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[Linda Buquet]

Excited to see the appointment booking feature.
I suggested adding that feature to Google a few months ago. Very cool!

Again this is just starting to roll out on a somewhat limited basis, but I'm sure they will be expanding features and partners.

I think this is a pretty good move on their part and makes lots of sense.

 

[Myles Anderson]

Very interesting.

This seems like a unique update that it benefits users, SMBs and 3rd party services at the same time. Usually 1 or 2 of these groups gets screwed

I wouldn't be surprised if Google monitors which of the 3rd party services is most popular and snaps it up and squeezing out the other players!

 

[Eric Rohrback]

So is this just for ordering/delivery companies or does it affect dine in restaurants too? How will this affect bookings through a site like opentable? Will that still be featured on the Google My Business pages?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Very interesting.

This seems like a unique update that it benefits users, SMBs and 3rd party services at the same time. Usually 1 or 2 of these groups gets screwed

I wouldn't be surprised if Google monitors which of the 3rd party services is most popular and snaps it up and squeezing out the other players!

Actually I'm pretty sure these are all pay-to-play or revshare deals to some degree. Just like I suspect the restaurant booking and hotel reservations deals are.

So my feeling is why buy one? When you could offer people a choice of which service they want to go with - and you make a cut no matter which service they go with?

FYI I don't have any insider knowledge about partnerships or revshare deals, so this is all just assumption on my part.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Here is the official Google+ post that just came out.

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<div class="g-post" data-href="https://plus.google.com/+google/posts/UijPqBzy6kf"></div>​

 

[CaseyMeraz]

It will be interesting to see the appointment side of things. Any word yet on provider's they're using for that feature?

 

[Linda Buquet]

No word yet, they've mainly talked about delivery so far.

When I suggested they add appointments a few months ago this is the thread I pointed them to and the service I thought was cool at the time.

That post also shows how appt setting ties into the whole review piece.

<a href="http://www.localsearchforum.com/local-search/6802-score-quadruple-local-search-engine-optimization-win-appointments-citations-more-reviews-backlinks.html">Score a Quadruple Local SEO Win - Appointments, Citations, More Reviews + Backlinks</a>

 

[Linda Buquet]

Mike just posted and he summarized the revenue opportunity for Google really well.
(As Mike always does!)

<a href="http://blumenthals.com/blog/2015/05/07/google-rolls-out-mobile-local-business-orders-and-appointments/">Google Rolls Out Mobile Local business orders and appointments</a>

This strategy of integrating transaction partners at various point in the search cycle seems to be Google?s preferred tactic for creating transactional capabilities (as opposed to them doing this themselves). This keeps their current advertising opportunities intact and provides additional abilities to deliver cost per transaction type products.

 

[Jim Froling]

You're right Myles. One or two will get screwed. My money's on the restaurant.

 

[Jim Froling]

GrubHub just acquired Restaurants on the Run which a client is leaning toward. Is it safe to bet that they will be included in the roll out as a subsidiary of GrubHub?

 

[Dialady]

Glad Google continues to listen to your brilliant ideas, Linda!!! Maybe they will also reach out to doctors, hair salons, and spas for appointments, too.

 

[CodyBaird]

not relevant but Grubhub has the funniest commercials.