Check out Google Things to Do (GTTD

Here, we consider the Google Things to Do (GTTD) initiative, its relevance to experience providers and what you need to know for your business.

Google Things to Do is evolving how tours, activities and attractions are displayed across the Google ecosystem. Learn about the significance of the channel, the benefits to your business, and how to get your specific product connected and listed effectively.

WHAT IS GOOGLE THINGS TO DO?

A staggering 92% of all search queries globally are made through Google. As a core part of your direct sales strategy, Google represents the largest global audience opportunity, crossing desktop and mobile devices.

Since August 2021, Google piloted its new Things to Do travel platform. GTTD displays ticket prices and links to buy to both provider websites and online resellers. Currently, those links are presented on the Google business listing of a visitor attraction. Google plans to extend this to the listing of providers of day tours and activities as well.

GTTD lists multiple options for each attraction, including the attraction website and online resellers. However, Google does allow the provider to have the “official tickets” link. These listings are currently free to the tour or attraction provider.

Google does not process any bookings itself, but instead passes

users directly to your website. There are differences between the way GTTD lists attractions, versus tours and experiences, but more on that below, along with a deeper description of what GTTD is, and how it can work for you.

In a nutshell, GTTD is a free product listing service for tour, attraction and activity providers that impacts the way your product is discovered and booked on Google. There is no limit to how many products you can list.

HOW GOOGLE THINGS TO DO WORKS

Google’s aim with GTTD is to make the travel research and booking experience as userfriendly as possible, enabling easy discovery of new and unique things to do, while making it easier for operators and travel industry partners to promote their tours, attractions, and activities and connect with interested consumers. With GTTD, both resellers and you, the product owner, can surface your inventory via free listings and through a dynamic ad format. Interested consumers are redirected to your website booking page and will complete the transaction directly with you.

There are some differences between how Attractions display in GTTD, versus Tours and Activities. GTTD allows attractions and ticket-based businesses to list their website alongside other reseller listings, avoiding commission and booking through a third party. Users will be able to clearly identify it is your site with an “Official Site” badge added next to your link for authority.

You will also be able to display more than one ticket type and pricing to users. The provider can only claim the ‘Official Site’ tag themselves via one of Google's official Connectivity Partners. You cannot do it through your 'Google My Business' or by email. GTTD for tour and activity providers is largely centered around Points of Interests (POIs), which represent important locations. For example, museums, monuments, zoos and visitor attractions are POIs. If your products provide meaningful experiences around relevant POIs, you may have an opportunity to publish your products to these POIs so that they appear in more search results, including Google’s Experiences module, which appears below the business listing of the attraction.

Across is an example of one visitor attraction, and how different tickets and tour options are published in the Experiences module. However, keep in mind that Google continues to experiment and make changes. The way tickets and tour options are displayed will continue to change, and you should keep an eye on the listings of the key POIs you include in your tours and experiences.

Top Tip

Ask your project coordinator how to get the best from your Google Things To Do listing.

HOW TO GET CONNECTED

For you to participate in GTTD, you need to work with one of Google’s official Connectivity Partners. This is a relatively easy process. Your Connectivity Partner works with you to publish your product data and imagery in the format required by Google. Once published, consumers can view your product and pricing, and if interested in booking, they are redirected to your website to complete the transaction.

There are four primary categories of Google’s official Connectivity Partners: 1 Digital Marketing Partners. 2 Booking Systems. 3 Channel Managers and

Connectivity Providers. 4 Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). Digital marketing partners, booking systems, and channel managers can offer you the ability to claim your “official tickets” listing and link directly to your website. If you work with OTAs, they may also be listed, and you should view this as a potentially competitive channel. If you do not claim your official site link, your reseller partners are likely to capture the potential traffic and bookings from that channel. This is why it is important for providers to work with connectivity partners.

BEST PRACTICES FOR PRODUCT SET UP

With attractions, it’s all about claiming the ‘Official Site’ ticket button for your listed attraction. Only the business owner can claim the ‘Official Site’ button, but if unclaimed, resellers will attach their own booking listings against your attraction and be the only visible source for consumers to book through, with each one of those bookings costing you commission.

Experience providers have several considerations on how your product should be surfaced within Google. Most important is Points of Interest (POI). In working with your Connectivity Partner, they should be able to assist you in understanding how your product can be positioned to associate Google’s heavily searched points of interest (POI), one or more of which should be associated with your product. Popular POIs generally receive high search traffic on Google.

Your Connectivity Partner can assist operators in listing their products under one or several POIs.

When the Google user searches for a POI, the search results will list the admission tickets to the POI and any operator that provides a meaningful experience of that location.

In the screenshot example used below (3 mobile phones), the specific product of Top View Sightseeing has three POIs which you can experience as a key part of their tour itinerary.

The Connectivity Partner has published this information to Google and the same product link is now listed under each of those specific POIs, widening the net for potential sales.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR AS GTTD EVOLVES

Be prepared for change as Google has indicated the program will continue to evolve over time. Here’s what to watch out for:

1 Visitor experience providers will soon be able to publish much more detail for each offering, including but not limited to images, descriptions, inclusions, and important information. 2 If an OTA sells your product, it is likely that your tour, activity, or attraction will be published to one or more POIs with users

directed to the OTA websites to complete the purchase. 3 Choose a Connectivity

Partner that allows you to directly control which

POIs your products will be published against. 4 Ensure your chosen

Connectivity Partner keeps you wired to any rapid changes by Google.

Currently, a listing on GTTD is free. However, Google is likely to add advertising, possibly in the form of promoted listings. This could have an impact on the performance of your listing, and you should continue to monitor how your products appear across GTTD.