Google seems to be testing allowing searchers to “heart” and other emoji reactions a photo in the local search results. This can be a way for Google to learn if the images uploaded to the hotel listing is useful to searchers and maybe also help searchers interact with the Google local search results more.

This was spotted by Rishabh Karwa who posted this screenshot on X:

I confirmed with hotel SEO expert, Lluc B. Penycate, if this was new and he said he thought so:

I think so, I have not seen this before. I’m not seeing currently on iPhone in Spain. I like it, specially since we no longer have view metrics for photos in GBP…

— Lluc B. Penycate Ⓐ (@Lluc_SEO) November 22, 2023

It is not just hotel listings, Adam Reimer spotted it for other local listings and posted this example on X:

These heart icons also show on images in Google Discover:

One more thing regarding following topics in Discover, with the latest additions the “like” heart buttons are now in the article image. That makes it much easier to miss, and tap. But, following topics is now going to be a much stronger way to know what people want to see versus… pic.twitter.com/RRvlOuBRAo

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 27, 2023

Forum discussion at X.