A number of webmasters have reported seeing price trends being tested for hotel listings. This feature is showing up in the local panel. See the screenshots below:

We’re all familiar with Google Flights, which is a similar concept, but this is the first time we’ve seen it done for another industry.

Why Should You Care:

Additions like these change the way people shop online, and they seem to be coming in thick and fast. Also in this week’s headlines was the introduction of this new feature, showing product prices within the local pack:

If changes like this become the norm on Google, it’ll change the way users browse and buy, and will have a big impact on the way marketers have to sell products online. Customers won’t read your compelling sales copy and scroll through your conversion optimised pages, they’ll simply see the image and price right on the SERP – and how your prices compare to those of your competitors.  

Google have also repeatedly shown their interest in circumventing the user’s need to click through to a website (just look here, here, here and here) and this is yet another move in that direction. Which industry will be next?

The major take away is that you will need to know how to get into these results to ensure a sale. Of course, much of this is just testing for now, but trends like these are certainly worth thinking about. For more information, have a look here.