Casual Search - Not So Casual For Businesses

With the rise of virtual assistants that have been introduced into our lives (Apple's Siri for example), we have seen a new form of search emerge. This new form of search has been coined "Casual Search". This "Casual Search" is an approach to search where users of mobile devices and tablets  are quickly finding routine information like a restaurant location or phone number.

This kind of search could potentially change the search landscape. As a marketer, I've spent the last few years working with other businesses to improve their page rank and quality score on Google and other search engines through various SEO methods and paid-inclusion programs. Of course, that job is never done. Changes to algorithms, competition, and new promotions or offers sometimes start a process all over again. This new "Casual Search" is one of those changes.

All of the virtual assistants found on mobile devices are connected to a search engine of some sort. When a user asks a question such as "Where is the nearest pizza place?", a search engine returns the results based on the user's current location. The user then has a plethora of choices and is able to quickly connect to a local pizza restaurant and place an order. Apple's Siri, uses Yelp as the search engine for these types of searches. Not only do the results returned include location information and a phone number for each of the pizza places but ratings and reviews of peers and other visitors to the restaurant are often displayed.


A casual search like the one mentioned above is the equivalent of a geo-modified search query on a traditional search engine. The competition is generally a little more fierce with this type of search. Someone looking for a product, service, or a location near them is probably ready to make a purchase or contact a business. Which is all the more reason businesses should supply as much relevant information as possible.


Marketers and businesses have their work cut out for them. They must stay on top of the local listings tied to each of these search engines, provide as much information as possible for someone searching for a business like theirs, and encourage customers or clients to submit ratings and reviews to communicate the quality of service they received.


Make sure your business stands out from among the crowd.