Commentary
Context In Messaging Apps Creates One More Search Intent Signal
- by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, October 12, 2015
Messaging apps continue to delve deeper into search features. This morning Google contributed to a $100 million investment in Symphony Communications Services, and I learned about Symphony's search features for its personal messaging tools such as the ability to search through conversations, tokens and terms; hashtags, cashtags and mentions; among others things.
The messaging captures intent in the moment to serve relevant ads. Now KeyPoint Technologies' Xploree has partnered with Yahoo to integrate search experience in mobile apps. The app free on Google Play allow users to remain in the app to search and browse for information.
A video on the company's site suggests the app becomes aware of consumer behavior before the person expresses it based on context and location providing deals from local merchants. It also understands more than 120 languages.
Xploree, a Bangalore-based company, ran a beta studies for the ten most popular categories of applications for consumer search on mobile devices. The results show search engines lead at 34% followed by call directory at 17% and App Store or app discovery at 16%. Consumers lean in on m-commerce search and social apps heavily, yet slightly lower than the in-app search on messaging apps at 12%.
In July, Frost & Sullivan recognized KeyPoint with the 2015 North America Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation, saying the technology plugged the gaps in conventional mobile marketing with its next-generation mobile solution, Xploree.
Laurie Sullivan is a writer and editor for MediaPost. You can reach Laurie at lauriesullivan@gmail.com.