Mobile Devices Account for Over 17% of Consumer Online Searches for Flights

LONDON, June 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Consumers made a total of 3.2 million online searches for flights in May, over 17% of which were made on mobile devices, reveals a new independent report, "Flights  Sector Report - Issue9", by  leading digital marketing agency, Greenlight.

The report charts the most popular terms consumers used to look for flights to domestic, short haul and long haul destinations on Google UK.  It also reveals the most visible sites for those searches and the size of the potential online audience split by computers (laptops/desktops) and mobile devices (smartphones & tablets).  

According to the research, 'Cheap flights' was the most queried term accounting for 17% (450,000) of all flight-related searches using computers and 20% (110,000) of all searches made via mobile devices.

Whilst queries for flights to short haul destinations were most popular on laptops/desktops, accounting for a 31% share of overall flight-related searches, those for long haul destinations dominated on mobile devices, accounting for 28%.

The ten most queried flight-related terms on computers and mobile devices were similar. However, there were two exceptions, 'flights to thailand' and 'flights to florida'. The former featured among the top ten searches made on computers but not mobile devices, whilst the latter featured in those via mobile devices but not computers. 

League tables in Greenlight's report ranked the most visible sites in the organic listings*, paid listings** and across both (Integrated Search).

Skyscanner was the most visible site in the Natural Search listings both on desktops and mobile devices.

Whilst Opodo topped Greenlight's table charting the 20 most visible advertisers on laptops/desktops, attaining a 73% share of voice, Cheapflights dominated on mobile devices with 72%.

Cheapflights also attained the highest share of Integrated Search visibility and was the most visible site for flight-related searches on both laptops/desktops and mobile devices.

Notes toEditors:

Greenlight's 'Flight Sector Report - Issue 9', profiles search behaviour in this sector. It assesses which brands, websites and review sites are the most visible in Natural Search, Paid Media, and Social Media and hence have the greatest share of consideration when UK-based searchers go to Google UK to look for flights to domestic, short haul and long haul destinations.

Greenlight's research covers the following industries and sectors:

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
PERSONAL CARE  - Beauty
HOME GOODS  - Home & Garden
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES  - Fashion Retail / Sports Retail
CONSUMER SERVICES  -  Online Dating / Entertainment
GAMING & GAMBLING  - Online Gambling
FINANCE  - Personal General Insurance / Life Insurance / Retail Banking
TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY  - Holidays / Hotels / Flights / Car Hire / Cruises
UTILITIES  - Energy
REAL ESTATE  - Property (Residential)
RECRUITMENT
TELECOMS  - Telecoms

About Greenlight:

Greenlight is a leading independent digital marketing agency. With over 100 blue-chip clients including Santander, New Look, Sky and ghd, Greenlight is a leader in the digital marketing space, and is recognized worldwide for its commitment to delivering record ROI for its clients and investing in the future.

Greenlight is considered the premier thought leader in the sector publishing widely read industry reports, original research and speaking at trade events. Founded in 2001, Greenlight is headquartered in London, with offices in New York.

Web: http://greenlightdigital.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenlightMKTG