Google Testing Price-First Format in Hotel Ads

This morning we’re seeing a new Google Hotel Ads experiment out in the wild. The new format features the nightly price first, pushing the logo and advertiser name to the right. Take a look below: This experiment appears to be serving approximately 5% of the time in the US. We have yet to see it in any other markets. This display approach is interesting because it literally puts the price ahead of the brand, which aligns with consumer behavior in some segments. In our study on rate, advertiser type, and price preference in metasearch, we found that 61% of consumers said that price was their most important consideration in which ad to click. If we think down the line through potential impacts, this could affect the click curve, the measure of how frequently users click ads in each position. If the nightly price is further emphasized in Google Hotel Ads, it may also impact the behavior of searchers who otherwise may have overlooked a slight difference in price and gravitated toward a familiar brand.