What Google’s new GBoard mobile keyboard means for marketers

May 16, 2016: On May 12, Google rolled out a new mobile keyboard for iPhone users called “GBoard” that integrates search directly into the keyboard. As the demo below shows, it makes it far easier to search for something while messaging a person at the same time, thus solving a major mobile search usability issue:

GBoard also includes some handy features likely to be appreciated by mobile messagers: the ability to search and send animated GIFs and emojis, and Glide Typing.

How marketers should prepare

While usage numbers are not yet available, GBoard is already garnering a lot of positive reviews, suggesting that Google may have a hit on its hands.

Google notes in its help area that users can “search and send anything from Google, such as nearby restaurants, videos, and weather forecasts,” so this would presumably include any paid and organic listings that appear after the user executes a query. The example above, however, only includes a listing from “The Meatball Shop” (a real restaurant with a real physical location), drawn from Google Maps.

Search results are displayed in a small “card” area above the texting window. Information likely to be of interest to the mobile searcher on the go, including store hours, address, and phone numbers, are displayed. Clicking the

One thing that marketers need to do immediately is make sure that any listings maintained for any of their business units are listed completely and accurately on Google Maps, so they will be eligible for display if users execute queries relevant queries for which they are in geographical range. Doing this means filling out a form on Google My Business, and going through the verification procedure.

Marketers with the ability to create branded animated GIFs, custom emojis, and videos, may also enjoy some benefit, given the ease with which these assets can be searched from the mobile keyboard.

GBoard is available now at the Apple App Store. While Google has not announced the delivery date of an Android version, it will likely follow soon.

iPhone users can download GBoard from the Apple iTunes store:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/gboard-search.-gifs.-emojis/id1091700242?mt=8

Update 5/18/2016: An interview with a Google engineer Rajan Patel published at SearchEngineLand.com sheds light on how results are ranked in GBoard. According to the article, Gboard’s algorithm is different from that used to rank mobile results. According to Patel, GBoard’s algorithm may favor news results, direct answer/Knowledge Vault-generated listings, and (perhaps) AMP-formatted articles. GBoard also does not draw upon search history data about the user when choosing which listing to display; only prior searches executed in the same session. It appears that there are no current plans to allow GBoard to display paid results, contrary to an assertion made in this article.