In 2013, Google released a study on mobile search behaviour. The analysis tracked the actual practises of thousands of volunteer participants and revealed a lot of information about how potential travellers use their smartphones to explore travel options.
Three years later, Google’s changes to its mobile travel search show how the company has used those insights to effectively carve out its share of the travel market.
More Destinations
Google’s new Mobile Travel Search may take many in the travel industry by surprise.
Less reliant on organic search engine results, the new search takes into account that people exploring travel often begin with a generalised browser search, and it provides information to help them decide what they want to do.
When someone searches for something like “places to go in Croatia” or “weekend breaks in Paris”, they are offered two search engine results and given the option to explore “more destinations” with the prompt of a big blue arrow.
Pressing this gives a wider range of options and the opportunity to fine-tune the search with personal interests such as “Adventure”, “Museum” and “Theater”.
According to Google’s Head of Business Development for travel, the new interface allows users to not only filter results based on their preferences but also on their personal budget requirements.
All the choices are provided by Google travel services like Google Flight search, Google Hotels, and Google Local results.
Once users make use of the “More Destinations” prompt, there is little encouragement to return to the unfiltered web results.
Behaviour-based solutions
We may all feel like rabbits in the headlights when it comes to staying abreast of Google search engine developments.
The challenge for your travel-related website will be to adjust to these changes, which themselves are subject to speedy evolution. Mobile optimised content will be a focus.
Web designers in Bournemouth such as Expect Best, can help you understand what these changes mean for your travel business and how your website can still rank in search engine results.
Google’s Mobile Travel Search has been rebuilt to convert searches into Internet-based follow-up action.
In their research, Google discovered that only 12 per cent of searches ended in a purchase. The new attractive and easy-to-use interface makes planning and travelling both convenient and straightforward.