In some countries, mobile devices are now used for searching more often than laptops, and elsewhere the gap between mobile and desktop has closed dramatically. This has led to changes in the way that search engines work and in how web designers and SEO providers in particular position their content.
What’s New?
One big change introduced by Google was “Mobilegeddon”: if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it doesn’t rank as well. Now Google have introduced another big change, but it’s one that you might not have noticed yet. What is this change? It’s a change to mobile travel search results. If your company is part of the travel industry, you need to be aware of this now.
Many people who begin a travel search have no firm idea of where they wish to travel. They might begin by entering “places to go in Rome”, or “weekend breaks in Italy”. Google now helpfully provides two destinations, with an option to look at more by clicking a prominent blue arrow. Once you do that, it’s actually quite difficult to get back to the organic search results without starting all over again.
So you’re looking at the destinations Google offers you and you click one. You can filter by date, by activity or area of interest or by price. If somewhere looks appealing, you are offered the opportunity to look at flights via Google Flights and at hotels via Google Hotel search and even to book restaurants through Google local search. The whole process is explained here: http://searchengineland.com/google-revamps-travel-search-queries-almost-making-web-results-irrelevant-241784?ref=webdesignernews.com.
This makes planning and travelling a very straightforward experience for the customer. But it means changes to your website and your content if you want to keep up. If you’re concerned about the implications, consult an expert: a company such as http://www.somersetwebservices.co.uk/, which offers web design in Somerset, will help you ensure that you still figure in the search result.
Opportunities
As Forbes explains, the travel market represents a big opportunity for Google. Even Expedia, probably the largest online travel brand, only accounts for 4% of the money spent on travel. That’s a lot of room for Google to expand into.
An opportunity for Google can also be an opportunity for smaller companies. If you’re involved in the travel industry, you can make Google’s changes work for you.