60% of searches performed on Google do not generate any clicks; this phenomenon is known as a no-click search.
This statistic clearly shows that the search engine is gradually becoming a response engine, meaning that, instead of redirecting the Internet user to a third-party site where they will find the response to their query, the latter is displayed on the results page thanks to tools such as Google My Business, the Knowledge Graph, Google Shopping, etc.
Events are one of those responses that Google displays directly on the results page.
How do events appear on Google?
Events can appear in search results in one of three ways:
On the Google My Business listing of the location where the event is taking place
In position 0 thanks to the Knowledge Graph
In the form of Rich Snippets beneath a search result
What sources does Google use to highlight an event?
So far, although some Internet users in the United States have seen this feature being trialled, it is not possible to add an event to your Google My Business listing as an admin.
Google trawls various sources to populate Google My Business, Knowledge Graphs and Rich Snippets with events that are relevant to the searches performed by Internet users, including the following:
The official website of the establishment in question or the organiser thereof
The official websites of specific events such as festivals and conferences (e.g. Paris Retail Week)
Reference platforms for a particular sector (e.g. Allociné for the cinema industry)
In the case of events that require tickets to be purchased, the platforms selling them are also considered by Google to be authoritative sources. (e.g.: Cirque du Soleil)
How do I promote an event on Google My Business?
If you want Google to highlight an event associated with your website in the search results you will need to optimise the structure of the site to highlight the fact that it is an event. These are Google’s instructions for ensuring that the browser recognises and highlights them: Google Search - Events
Once your site structure has been optimised to take this into account, it is highly likely that events associated with your website will appear on your Google My Business listing, so it is essential that you keep it updated!
If you have any questions or need help managing your Google My Business listings, don't hesitate to contact our support team by clicking on the little bubble in the bottom right-hand corner or visit our website by clicking on the button below!