The future of search relies on two distinct elements: Explicit and Implicit query – and how users interact with search in general. Implicit query is one of those scary-cool by rapidly emerging technologies.
Explicit query is the search you know today – type in the what you are looking for (example: NYC subway stations). Implicit query leverages your position, recent searches and in short, everything the search engine knows about you. Combined, you may ask for NYC subway stations, but now the results will show the nearest stations to your current location and the times of the next trains, among the results.
In the short-term, this will profoundly change how we interact with technology. With a longer view, this continues to open the door to the still-young ambient location (or ambient intelligence) technology options like Google Glass.
How does this work for now? Will Critchlow explains from the MOZ Blog.
Image: Courtesy Moz Blog
Video from Moz Blog: