Google expands mobile search results for travel and retail sites (GOOG, GOOGL)

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Google is expanding its mobile search formats to include flight price tracking and discovery ads, according to Luxury Daily.

The new features, which will be added over the coming weeks, will help consumers with travel searches made on the mobile web. Users will be able to see a broader variety of retailers’ offerings within the Showcase Shopping Ads carousel in the results section of Google Search for mobile. This will help increase brand visibility on the mobile web, which is becoming a progressively more important discovery tool.

By broadening the amount of inventory that fits within the parameters of search terms being used, Google is greatly improving the mobile web experience for consumers. This is because mobile users often use broad search terms rather than more specific, targeted keywords. Roughly 40% of searches made on Google are composed from general search terms like “women’s athletic clothing,” or “living room furniture,” according to Jonathan Alferness, VP of Google shopping and travel.

The news signifies that Google is taking steps to maintain mobile search as a top discovery resource. In Q4 2015, around 87% of US smartphone owners noted their reliance on browser-based search on mobile devices, according to Forrester. But despite the continued importance of the mobile web, businesses are still making the mistake of either lacking a mobile search strategy, or treating mobile search in the same way as desktop search.

There are a number of strategies that marketers need to consider to ensure they are giving their mobile customers the best mobile web experience, notes Forrester:

• Mobile search intent differs from desktop: Consumers will often use mobile search differently than they use desktop search. For example, on desktop, consumers may type in “hotels” to search hotels they could book. However, on mobile, users are more likely to search for directions to, or availability of, nearby hotels.
• Mobile search users expect immediate, actionable results: Mobile users typically want to take an action when using mobile search, such as booking a room or purchasing a ticket. Therefore, mobile sites need to make it easy for users to find and complete these tasks.
• Brand loyalty can be trumped by immediacy: Mobile users tend to use unbranded search terms; this is a possible byproduct of searching on a smaller screen size and with a smartphone keyboard. This levels out the discovery playing field, creating opportunities for local content. Because of this, brands need to ensure that their search engine optimization strategy compensates for unbranded search. 

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