The Future Of Search Is Here With Google Instant

By Author: Soumya Dhar
Total Articles: 2
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The web world has been flooded with numerous speculations since Google announced its new search enhancement, i.e. Google Instant. This latest addition supplies you with potential search results while you type your query. The motto behind it is, to make people reach their target result faster.
Almost similarly Yahoo had initiated its instant search around 2005 and then due to some reasons stopped it. According to a blog of some product manager from Yahoo's search team it comes out that Yahoo was not quite ready to integrate it in Yahoo search. This is the reason that they launched it separately as alltheweb.com.
We all now know that the concept of searching is on the verge of huge alteration with the hand of Google instant. It might not be a huge technical challenge to get the feel of it, but for sure it will have its impact upon user interaction model of search. I have tried to make a list of some points that I guess will have an effect on search and SEO, here are they:
1. Initial User Response and Reaction to it
At first look it might be distracting and little annoying to people looking for results. ...
... With passing time we can get a fair idea of how the people react to it. But, for now it is just on the preliminary stage to comment.
2. Google Suggest has done it previously
This present change is not actually a unique one as we think. The previous version, i.e. Google Suggest is familiar with us all, and Google Instant looks to be using the first query of Google Suggest to fetch the results. So we are viewing a modified version of Google suggest with instant.
3. The Long Tail era stopped and new search possibilities arrived
Apart from my earlier two points, here are two manners that search behavior may transform:
a) Google Instant results give us a view of all the tentative preview results. While you type something you see the probable answers to your question, and after seeing the results you click on the most relevant one as per your need. As a result, the long tail of search gets reduced to some extent. This actually curtails much of the searching for a particular researcher. Nevertheless, the long tail won't fade away totally. In place of being 80% of the total search volume it may come down to a minimal level of, let’s say 50%.
b) As a result of all these aspects it makes searchers to look at new stuffs that weren't coming in front previously. Putting it simply it can be said that, someone who might be looking for ‘Chicago play’ may get a result for a ‘Chicago rugby play’ and have a go at that. This is basically putting the user off-track from their original target.
As because of all these, Google Instant’s impact may modify over time as surfers become accustomed to it. When some time passes users may become habituated to think in a different way, and also their moving towards formulating search queries will change.
4. Algorithm remains same
Google declared that the ranking algorithm has not been altered in any way. This is a vital point that Google has put light on. In the name of change, all that has been changed is how and when the results are offered to us.
5. Google Instant calls for better focus on Local Keywords in PPC Campaigns
Every time when a user puts in a non-geo-specific query, Instant will be exhibiting local results in a lot of cases. Let me clear this for you, if you type "h" at the start of your query, and you get to see information on the hotel, based on which you will instantly get the hotels for your local area.
This idea will only get bigger as Google gets more knowledge with how Google Instant works eventually. Thus, when someone is typing a standard query they will end up making a local query, and so view locally focused ads.
6. Improved PPC Conversion Rate
Long tail is impacted grossly under Google Instant. Because of this it actually creates a chance to improve PPC conversion on shorter tail queries. Users, who are looking forward to type a long tail query, now choose to go for a shorter tail query. This in no way affects their search consistency; instead of that they are getting faster search results.
7. SEO Won't Loose its value
SEO may be affected in some way, but it won’t change the world of it. People and businesses around the world will still require the need of optimizing their web pages, link building, and social media.