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Travel brands should ensure they consider the search “intent” of prospective customers when optimising their pages, as Google turns more to advanced tech to serve results.

That’s the key message from the annual report by marketing agency SearchMetrics, in a study of 10,000 keyword searches and results on Google.

With the search giant’s increased use of machine learning and sophisticated artificial intelligences techniques to display results, smaller travel brands in particular must understand how a subtle shift is taking place in how SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages) are served.

Larger travel companies, Searchmetrics argues, have an advantage as Google appears to rank them higher for content than similar items from lower-profile brands.

Google is looking to understand the “real intention” behind words used by consumers, in a bid to make results more relevant, says Marcus Tober, Searchmetrics CTO and founder.