Articles tagged “google”

Google continues to churn out strong revenue growth numbers despite its massive size. There was little direct mention of travel on Google’s earnings call, but a few metrics give us insights into likely online travel agency earnings season and the broader online travel ecosystem.

Google is aggressively placing itself more prominently than ever between the consumer and the airline in the quest for bookings. What does it mean? Airlines are getting more qualified leads but are losing control and getting even more beholden to Google.

One of the dirty "secrets" of digital advertising is that companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft purchase ads on their own platforms, essentially competing with other buyers for the top placements. The news should give any marketer spending top dollar to try and earn high-ranking search results cause for concern.

Tune in to hear about Google's recent moves and future ambitions for travel.

Google has fought and annoyed TripAdvisor and Yelp for years when it comes to user reviews. The search giant obviously has the scale to compete and is now putting new emphasis on its own user reviews, but it has to prove it has the focus to upend the review balance of power.

Smartphone users of travel apps don't have many apps downloaded at a time, but are willing to try an app based on recommendations from family and friends.

Like Hipmunk, Room 77 had an innovative product and talented team but ran into a buzz saw: the marketing clout of Google preferencing its own products, and Expedia, Booking.com and Kayak. Don't feel sorry for the venture capital firms receiving just 53 cents on the dollar. That's the game they play. The real losers are the angel investor and employees, although we're sure for many it was quite a ride nonetheless.

Gogobot likely paid some big bucks for the Trip.com domain, and it is making strides with a high-quality recommendation app. Still, everyone in the travel space, especially startups, is feeling like they are running uphill as Google tosses boulders downward. Slow, steady steps may win the day.

Google may not be on the road toward becoming an online travel agency, but the search engine is inserting itself more aggressively in the travel research and hotel-shopping process.

Tourism and hospitality companies have an opportunity with Mapillary to create their own ground-level, photo-based mapping platforms without having to wait for Google Street View teams to create or update them.