Google has added maps against results for some travel-related keywords in yet another low-key move to enhance its mainstream search engine in the UK. It is unknown how the legendary algorithm behind the scenes is choosing which keywords are likely to produce a feed from Google Maps indicating hotels where hotels are located in a…
Google adds Maps and reviews to UK travel search results
Google has added maps against results for some travel-related keywords in yet another low-key move to enhance its mainstream search engine in the UK.
It is unknown how the legendary algorithm behind the scenes is choosing which keywords are likely to produce a feed from Google Maps indicating hotels where hotels are located in a specific area.
Search results against “Hotel Hilton London”, “Hotels ‘New York’” and “Hotels ‘San Francisco’”, for example, are – alongside the maps – also showing pay-per-click slots for hotel websites and links to a page of user reviews gleaned form the sites such as TripAdvisor and VIP-Hotels.com.
The move is likely to fuel speculation that Google slowly beefing up its main portal by introducing elements from other Google products, such as Maps, Google Earth, weather, news deep-linking to partner websites for specific search results.
Google in the US currently deep-links to travel sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotwire when users enter airport codes and dates of travel.
Google has steadfastly remained tight-lipped about developments with its mainstream search engine in the UK, confirming only that the addition of new tools against search results on the UK site is an ongoing process.
The internet giant has continuously denied it would look to launch a vertical search engine for travel, known in digital agency and travel industry circles as Troogle.
