Google has made some improvements to the way that people discover events when using search. The new features will provide personalized results and key information about local events directly in users’ search results.
The new Event search features are slated to roll out in the US throughout the next few days, and they should significantly cut down on the number of steps that people have to take to find events to attend and make ticket arrangements by eliminating the need to visit multiple venue websites and apps.
When a person searches for an event, an overview of it will be shown in a card format in the search results, and users can click on a bookmark in the card to save its details. Tapping on the event’s card lead users to a page that contains further details like the time and location, the cost of tickets, and reviews of the venue. People can then click through and buy tickets from vendors like Ticketmaster or StubHub. Users can also share events with their contacts to facilitate group planning.
All manner of events will be included, such as the concerts and local festivals you might expect to see as well as museum events and smaller gatherings like cooking glasses. People who search term such as “free concert” or “events near me” will get lists culled from various sites.
Results personalised to match users’ interests
A “For You” tab will show people events based on their personal interests, whether it’s photography, dogs, running, cooking or something else entirely. Organisers can use tools from Google to mark up event listings, which means that searchers will see smaller local meet-ups alongside bigger events. In addition to personalised ideas, Google will also show popular and trending events in a person’s area.
As users click around and save events, Google’s system will learn the types of events that people like so it can refine its recommendations in future.
When Google first launched its Event search last May, it came in response to the millions of daily search queries on the site related to finding local activities and events. It pulls in data from sites like Meetup, Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, LiveNation, and Eventful with the aim of keeping mobile users on Google instead of leaving for other apps.
Google is hoping to challenge the dominance of Facebook in the events space. Last fall, Facebook said that a hundred million people were using Facebook Events every day.
