While BERT stole the limelight of last month’s Google Updates, in November 2019, the search giant has been unrelenting in its quest to improve search for users. Google confirmed the November 2019 Local Search Update using neural matching, while for Travel searches, the new features ensure they are moving towards becoming a one-stop destination to plan a travel itinerary online.
November 2019 Local Search Update
While Google started testing the neural matching in September 2018, they confirmed that they have added the concept to local search this November. While the previous noticeable update (BERT) was to improve search results by understanding the nuances of words in a sentence – favoring conversational content and long-tail keywords, the local search update using Neural Matching will help the search engine match words with concepts.
Coined by Danny Sullivan, Google’s search advisor, as the Super Synonym method, neural matching will help the search engine deliver better results for queries by understanding the concept of the search intent. As stated by Google, the addition of neural matching to search will possibly fetch a business or its description as a result of a query though the exact words mentioning the business weren’t in the query as it will understand search intent and the concept of the query better.
Danny Sullivan confirmed that the update will have an impact on 30% of search queries across the globe.
Travel Search Updates
To cater to the exact need of travelers, Google launched its very own travel app a while back but that has now been shifted to the Google ‘Trips’ web browser. On SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages), users can now search for a hotel close by which suits their requirements using the hover overlays (with the price per night) on maps and use interesting new filters to narrow down their search.
Using the filters to narrow down on the search for the perfect stay, users can do the following:
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- Choose between a hotel or a vacation rental
- Sort hotels based on guest ratings
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- Select the type of amenities one wishes for
- Choose from reputed brands
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- Choose a hotel class
- Use the toggle to select a stay within one’s budget
Like popular Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), Google has now rolled out the ‘Packages’ feature as well. For now, users can choose a bundle package on the dates they wish to travel, and Google will offer the best possible deal for both stay and flights.
Lastly, as you probably noticed above, Google has moved into the space of companies like Airbnb and the likes and are displaying the choice of booking a stay at vacation rentals on SERPs. However, for the property of vacation rental owners to be displayed or found on SERPs, it needs to be listed with Google My Business (GMB) or with any of Google’s partners, such as Expedia, VRBO, HomeAway, etc.
To know more on how you could improve the visibility of your local listing or your website content on SERPs, reach out to us +1 408 200 2211 or at [email protected]. Milestone keeps a track of the latest trends and updates and implements the best practices to ensure your business is at the top of its game.
