Released worldwide in late 2009, Google Suggest is a feature that auto-completes a user’s query by using a dynamic list of popular searches. Google recently updated its Google Suggests feature, which improved local searches and spell correction for names.

When it launched last year, Google Suggest would offer different suggestions to a user based on which country they were located in. The latest update takes that concept one step further for users in the United States, offering different suggestions on a state-by-state basis. For example, a user in Chicago who typed "bull" into the search before the update may have received search suggestions for an animal. Now, that user will receive suggestions for the Chicago Bulls basketball team.

The other big update is spell enhancement for name searches. Based on the assumption that people generally know something about the person they are trying to search for, Google will now offer more detailed suggestions. For example, if a user is searching for "Simon Tung," Google will suggest "Simon Tung Learning Machine."

For those in the search engine optimization (SEO) industry, the new local search and enhanced name search may help them drive traffic to the websites of local businesses and people.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.