New Challenge for Hotels: Phone Numbers No Longer Appear in Google Search
Pending official confirmation, it seems that Google has removed the VISIBLE phone number from the knowledge Panel of hotels in Google search results.
If we look at other businesses in different verticals, it doesn’t seem to affect them, but for hotels, the phone number has disappeared. This seems independent of the DMA, that is, the loss of the phone number with all its numbering is affecting the view that users from the European Union and outside of it have in both mobile and desktop results, as well as in Google Search and Google Maps.
Previously, the phone number was available right below the address, but this is no longer the case. We still have to consider that this modification might be an error, but seeing that its impact is worldwide, it seems this might be permanent and a way to force the phone query to go through activating the call button linked whether on desktop or on mobile to a phone call application. We suspect that until users get used to it, there might temporarily be fewer calls to hotels.
However, as you can also see below, there is the option to see the missing phone number in the “About” section, a refinement chip that fragments and atomizes the search as happens in reviews or prices. In that visualization (second image), we can find the deployed phone number.
Inquiry on Twitter and publication of the news on Search Engine Roundtable.
We do not know if this change has any additional implications such as a loss of the phone’s relevance within the traditional consistency that had to exist in the NAP (Name, Address, Phone), but this is speculation. We will expand the information to the extent that there is a relevant change. If you have a drop in calls or abnormal behavior, it may be because of this.
https://twitter.com/Lluc_SEO/status/1770092165009465472
https://www.seroundtable.com/google-drops-phone-numbers-hotel-listings-37080.html
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