Dive Brief:

• Google updated its mobile application and website to show nearby happenings like sporting events, concerts, art exhibits, festivals, lectures and meetings. The internet search leader added the new feature in response to the millions of daily search requests for activities, it said in a blog post.
• Queries like “concerts this weekend” will show on a mobile events page that has quick details about the event, date, time and location. Clicking on “more events ” provides filters to narrow the search results. Users can click on an event to see more information and buy tickets from the site. 
• The events search pulls data from other services like Ticketmaster, Bandsintown and Eventbrite that can be sorted by location and date. Google also provides developer guidelines so that event promoters can create listings that get seen in the events search.  

Dive Insight:

Searching for nearby businesses is a growing activity on mobile, Google previously reported. With this in mind, the mobile search experience on Google already includes information about nearby hotels, restaurants and shopping. However, when it comes to events, Google is playing catch-up to Facebook. The social media company dominates with its public events feature, which reels in 100 million users every day, according to TechCrunch. Thousands of concert venues, museums and clubs have Facebook pages that users can follow, mark to indicate interest in attending an event or click to confirm they’re planning to go. Facebook also has a standalone events app.

Meanwhile, ticket sellers, museums and theaters have created their own mobile apps that provide direct information to upcoming events without having to go through an intermediary like Facebook or Google. The new Google feature is a big improvement over past searches, which would often point to a local newspaper website or other listings that required lots of time digging to find relevant events, because it organizes heaps of information to make it easily accessible.

The company hasn't made official deals with any of the event sites, so right now, its main goal is likely to keep users on Google rather than other apps. As the development catches on, the company might consider looking to monetize on the event listings with contextual ads for other events and restaurants.