Google Travel Search Changes

Recently, Barry Schwartz wrote an article on Search Engine Land entitled “Google Revamps Travel Search Queries, Almost Making Web Results Irrelevant” about a change in the UI that makes it harder to see web based search results.  Barry points out that the changes make it “…really hard…” to get back to the organic web results after you click the “more destinations” button.  Being the kind of guy who hates to take someone else’s word for things, I decided to test the premise.

This is the image Barry used in his post.  The search query was “where to visit in Russia.”

So I did the same query on my iPhone 6. I used thee different search methods: via Apple’s built in Safari browser, via a Chrome browser and via a Google Search app.  The differences between the three are immediately apparent:

Google Search App	Safari	Google Chrome

On Safari (in the middle), the organic results do indeed disappear below the fold.  But on Google’s Search App and on Google Chrome, the organic results are still visible to users.

Now searching for where to go in Russia is a pretty big, so I wanted to try a search on a smaller destination: Norwalk, CT where my office is located. This time, the “More Destinations” button was missing entirely and the organic results are completely visible.

Google Search App	Safari	Google Chrome

I tried the same type of search for Chicago and New York City and got the same results.

So if you’re in the travel business and you’re worried about being on mobile SERPs, this change isn’t the end of the world.  Just something else we have to deal with.