Emily Kane
If you haven’t put any thought into how Google’s Instant Search will change SEO efforts, you may want to start now! Here are a five things from David Felfoldi that you might want to consider:
1. Brevity is the Soul of Wit:
Search engine users now have a reason to reduce their attention time even further — instant results as you type. Keep your copy brief, to the point, and able to grab their attention. If a searcher can’t scan and find what they are seeking, they are only one keystroke away from an entire new search results page of options.
2. Impression Counts May Increase:
If results, both organic and sponsored, are updated and presented as the user types, what is considered an impression? Is an impression the milliseconds between typing words, or is it a pause greater than 1 second in typing, or is it a movement of the mouse? Google provides some guidance on this:
1) The person types a query into the search box and either presses the Enter key or clicks on the “Search” button (just like it has been historically).
2) The person starts to type their query, sees a results page displayed and clicks anywhere on that page (i.e. it registers an impression when the user selects a link from that page).
3) The person stops typing and the results are displayed for three seconds or more, implying the searcher is scanning the results page.
Regardless, we advise all search marketers to monitor their AdWords accounts closely in the next few weeks.
3. Your Competition List Just Got Longer:
No longer is your competition the other websites that rank for your target or niche keyphrase term, like “tankless water heater“. Rather, it is also the shorter phrases, like “tankless” and “tankless water” that now also appear as the user types in their full search phrase. Each phrase presents a new layer of competition for you to now consider. In other words, your success with “long tail keywords” is now being challenged by the shorter tail keywords that precede it.
4. Predictive Search = Keyword Research:
Don’t know if you should focus your campaign on “steakhouse” vs. “steak houses” vs. “steak house”? Look to predictive search. The term that appears first is probably the most common search result, and the one you should consider targeting.
5. Real-Time is the New Fast:
Web users will soon expect all websites to be as responsive as Google. In other words, a 2 second load time is probably 1.5 seconds too long. Your search strategy should include considerations for ongoing load-time and performance tests to ensure the page consistently loads in a snap.
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