Trivago Testing Blue Placement Location

Earlier this week, our analysts spotted a potential test on Trivago. In one experience, the positioning of the “blue placement” shifted from the top of the hotel listing to the bottom. While this is a relatively small change, it could potentially change how users engage with listings on Trivago. Below are two screenshots. The first displays the original placement and the second shows the change during the test. At the timing of this post, the test is still live.

 

The blue placement migrates from top of the listing to the bottom.

Why does this test matter?

If you are not familiar with Trivago, the blue placement is reserved for the advertiser that owns the hotel. Historically, the blue placement has held the second position. This means that if a hotel owner has a competitive bid, they can lose the auction, but may still obtain the second position without having the second highest bid.

Trivago is currently testing how they sort and order alternative deals, while the test impacts the location of the blue placement, it is important to note that it is occurring across placements without the blue placement.  The test has been very limited in scope and has not made any significant impact on campaigns so far.

We have been told by our contacts at Trivago that this test is still very early days and far from becoming the new standard. If it were to become the new standard, then we may see small shifts in click share based on how users engage the new positioning. If the position of the blue placement could be impacted based on bid, then we would anticipate a more competitive bid landscape.

Depending on how advertisers respond, there could be changes in market share between suppliers and OTAs. Currently, we have not seen any large scale impact on our clients’ campaign performance. As always, we will be closely following this test in order to understand its impact.

 

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