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How consumer search behavior has changed in travel

June 18, 2008 | Online Travel

Based on a new report, Hitwise noted a rise in branded searches in query content for the travel sector. From the top 300 search terms sending visits to travel websites, the company found that more than three-quarters were from branded search terms such as “hilton hotels” or “expedia”.

The largest chunk of branded searches were searches for inventory owners, such as airlines and hotels, and map websites, such as MapQuest and Google Maps. The share of visits to Travel websites from branded queries rose 6 percent in the past year indicating that travel consumers are increasingly brand loyal and that consumers are using search engines as navigational aids rather than to discover new websites.

At the same time Hitwise found a 12% decrease in generic searches, such as “driving directions” and “cheap airline tickets”, and a 26 percent decrease in searches for specific destinations, such as “disneyland” and “las vegas”, in the four weeks ending April 26, 2008.

Mapping websites and meta-search engines are seeing the biggest gains. Searches for map websites accounted for 32% of visits from Search Engines to Travel websites, up 13 percent year-on-year. Meta-search websites have experienced a 40 percent increase in Internet searches year-on-year (albeit from a low base).

Get the full story at Hitwise Intelligence

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