Google Call Tracking Change: A Wake-Up Call for Hoteliers and Businesses

As many of you know, Google recently announced the removal of call and chat history tracking from Google Business Profiles starting July 31, 2024. While this might seem like a minor adjustment, it's a significant shift for businesses, especially those in the hospitality industry like hotels, retail, where a large portion of leads and bookings often originate from GBP interactions, brick and mortar businesses, where inbound demand is location-centric.

https://support.google.com/business/thread/276949228/changes-coming-to-google-business-profile-chat-and-call-history?hl=en

Why is google doing this?

• Privacy concerns: Google may be removing these features to reduce storage of sensitive data, decreasing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
• Charging for features: Google might remove chat and call history, then reintroduce them as paid features.
• Adding AI tools: Replacing these features with AI enhancements could offer better data analysis, personalized interactions, and improved communication, helping businesses stay competitive.

Impact of change?

Call and chat history data is a goldmine of insights. It reveals:

• Lead Sources: How customers find your business.
• Consumer Needs: What they're looking for when they contact you.
• Call Volume & Duration: Trends in customer interaction.
• Missed Calls: Potential opportunities to recover lost business.

Without this data, you're essentially flying blind in terms of understanding the effectiveness of your GBP and how it contributes to your overall marketing strategy.

What are we doing about this?

The good news is that there's a simple and effective solution: inbound call tracking. By integrating a call tracking system with your Google Business Profile, you can regain the valuable insights you're losing and even gain additional benefits.

Lilac Hotels: Leading the Way

'At Lilac Hotels, we've been using inbound call tracking to empower our hotel partners. Our system provides detailed call analytics, call recording and transcription, source tracking, customizable reports, and seamless integration with platforms like Salesforce and Google Analytics.

This allows our partners to:

• Optimize Marketing Campaigns: Understand which efforts are driving the most valuable calls.
• Enhance Customer Service: Use call recordings for training and quality assurance.
• Identify Missed Opportunities: Follow up on missed calls to recover potential revenue.

The Power of Integration

Integrating inbound call tracking with your GBP is a game-changer. It gives you a holistic view of all your marketing channels, not just your online presence. This allows for more informed decision-making, better resource allocation, and ultimately, a higher ROI

A Free Proof of Concept for Your Hotel

If you're looking to take your hotel asset-light and boost your direct bookings, Lilac Hotels is here to help. We're offering a free proof of concept to potential hotel owners to demonstrate how our inbound call tracking system can elevate your GBP performance. We'll focus on increasing inbound phone calls, driving direction requests, boosting profile traffic, and enhancing picture views.

The Bottom Line

Google's change is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity. By embracing inbound call tracking, you can not only recover lost insights but also gain a competitive edge. Don't let this update set you back – take control of your marketing data and drive your hotel's success.

Timeline and immediate next steps

- From July 15, 2024: New chat conversations with your business via Google will be disabled. Existing chat customers will be notified about the phaseout.

- By July 31, 2024: Chat feature and call history will be removed from Google Business Profile. You will still receive calls and be contactable via Google Search and Maps.

Next Steps:

- Download past chat and call records through Google Takeout by August 30, 2024.

- Consider alternative chat channels for ongoing conversations with customers.