Google’s gone and put a booking button right there on the Search results page.

Yes, right there

When a search is narrow enough to focus exclusively on one business, the new booking button can appear in the info panel, along with the business summary, contact details and map.

In the early preview, the button CTA read ‘book online’. At the time of writing, live samples say ‘see schedule’ and take users to a calendar to pick an available time.

How it’s going to work

Businesses need an account with a scheduling service provider that is officially supported by ‘Reserve with Google’. Search should be able to pull the info it needs from approved arrangement.

The current list of supported scheduling services already has 15 providers, including familiar names like Pike13, Appointy and Setmore.

It boasts another five services as ‘coming soon’, though there could be more or less when it gets to Australia.

When it’s going to work

Google is ‘just warming up’ with bookings, and is yet to give official word on when the button will go global.

Even the basic reservations service isn’t out here yet, so buttons in Search sure as heck aren’t on.

My guess: it’ll come when they’ve optimised their monetisation model.

Will Google’s flow of new features in the search results interface make it easier to effectively market, or will it demand duplication of effort just to stay in the same place?

Copy Transmission is a Melbourne-based agency :: Better Brands. Loud & Clear.