Author: Mike O'Brien / Source: SearchEngineWatch Google introduced auto-complete more than 10 years ago, so predictive search has been a s
Google introduced auto-complete more than 10 years ago, so predictive search has been a staple of search engines seemingly forever. But since YouTube has become the second largest search engine, predictive search has spread to video as well.
Travelzoo, a publisher of travel deals that also works as a search engine, recently put out a series of videos, #tzootips, focused on things like the best time of year to travel to Thailand, the cheapest night of the week to stay in a hotel, and when to fly to avoid delays. In their own way, the videos are predictive, answering the kinds of questions consumers would search on Google.
“There’s always push and pull with information,” says Justin Soffer, vice president of marketing at Travelzoo. “A lot of what search is, is people pulling – meaning they’re looking for something specific. What videos are doing is more of a push, telling people what to look for and showing them things.”
He adds that video is generally more personal than written content, since viewers are able to see and hear someone. That makes video particularly persuasive, which adds to its value in the search space, in addition to giving Travelzoo a boost in authority.
“Say someone saw [the video about the best day to stay in a hotel] and then next week, they want to plan a trip with their friends,” Soffer says. “Maybe they otherwise would…
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