There are new reports that a booking/appointment system run by Thumbtack, a local search service, is automatically adding its booking links and service to Google Business Profiles. Well, you can opt out, if you don't want it. But I am sure most businesses will have no clue this was added to their local listings in Google Search and Google Maps.
To opt out, you need to fill out this form. This is from the Thumbtack help page - so check there if the form no longer works, maybe there will be an updated link.
The book now button looks like this:
As reported to me by Colan Nielsen on X and posted in the Local Search Forum by Luis Chavez, this business does not want the book link to go to Thumbtack, but it does - at least when I wrote this.
Colan wrote, "Looks like Thumbtack is automatically adding booking links to Google Business Profiles."
We saw this happen a lot over the years, we even called it hijacking appointment links in Google - including with Postmates.
The Thumbtack help document says, "we've automatically added a Thumbtack booking option through your Google Business Profile. No further action is needed from you." So this is not an opt in thing, rather an opt out thing - which is not good.
So please be aware of this and be on the look out for changes to your booking link.
I was just looking to be mentioned from the search forum as the person that originally discovered the link on the gbp
— Luis Chavez (@luischavez154) July 16, 2024
Forum discussion at Local Search Forum.
