Google: next big thing in online travel

Google’s new-found interest in travel should be taken seriously and could have a widespread — perhaps even profound — impact on the entire business, according to analysts..
 

“Travel search is a huge vertical and you can assume that Google has some interesting plans or else they wouldn’t go after it,” according to PhoCusWright analyst Joe Buhler.
 

Travel is a huge and possibly the biggest commercial area where online marketing and search combine.
 

“Their own Web site points to how they help travel marketers reach consumers at all stages of the buying cycle — while they’re doing initial research, comparing specific options or getting ready to purchase,” said Mike Sottak, founder of Wired Island, an Internet marketing firm.
 

Through the use of organic search engine optimization techniques, and more importantly to Google — the firm’s paid programs like Ad Words — travel companies can get highly-qualified traffic, with increased sales and (return on investment) to match, according to Sottak.
 

Search engines in general, and Google specifically, are even more important than ever.

Google points to a Jupiter Research survey that shows that Internet searches have surpassed “referrals from friends/ family” and “visits to a travel agent’s office” as the most commonly used source for determining where to go on vacation.
 

Google has established itself as the dominant leader in search engine technology, commanding about 65 percent of the market in that area, ahead of both Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing by a considerable margin.
 

Traditionally, Google has focused on general or universal search, meaning you can type any term, phrase or keyword into Google, and it will quickly find you relevant links and Web sites.
 

But industry experts are now pointing out the benefits of so-called “vertical search,” which is a much more focused type of search for a particular topic area. This has become apparent in travel and tourism with the rise of sites like Kayak and Mobissimo.
 

These sites scour the Web for the best deals and then take users to the sites that can supply the product or services people want (such as an airline site, or an online travel agency like Expedia).
 

Travel is a huge, perhaps the biggest, commercial area where online marketing and search meet, and the opportunities for a company like Google to expand its footprint in this space are widespread.
 

“So make no mistake: Google is in the travel game, and would appear to be getting more serious about it,” Sottak says.
 

By David Wilkening