Trends in Search Modifiers: Hospitality Industry, Mobile, and Local influence
Mike Blumenthal wrote an interesting post on search trend modifiers, which can significantly affect the hospitality industry. He focused on the term "nearby", in connection with voice search, and investigated its trend over time. Even though he believes the parallel growth in smart phone usage is circumstantial, there may be some relevance in this comparison. While location and proximity remain top priorities for local searches, a recent Google study reveals that 88% of local searches are done using smartphones. These are consumers and travelers looking for addresses, directions, business hours, and product/service availability.