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Google Instant: Stick to your SEO toolkit say SEMPO pros

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By Alexandra Smith

SEMPO pros see no SEO impact from Google Instant yet …

Professionals at SEMPO Boston’s event “Keeping up with Google Search” discussed implementation of Google Instant, and noted minimal impact on search behavior, and thus, any effect on driving traffic.

Consensus: Google Instant not impacting search rankings … but

  1. Will Google Instant alter user behavior by diverting a searcher from his intended search phrase?
  2. Will this impact search engine optimization and pay per click advertising?

At the 6-week mark since the launch of Instant, there has been no measurable impact on search engine optimization or on PPC.

Some professionals expressed that Instant has changed their level of engagement. Others feel it has affected their behavior as search users – they end up somewhere other than intended.

Out of the dozens of professionals present, only a few had elected to turn off Google Instant on their searches. One user commented that Instant causes more short-tail and that there is more effort needed to make web content searchable with fewer terms.

Google Instant assessment by SEMPO professionals

  • Algorithm changes and implementations such as Instant are what keep SEO agencies in business.
  • Instant has caused frenzy among SEO practitioners who worry about effects on search rankings.
  • Agencies need to keep up with changes that could potentially impact search, such as Instant to ease clients’ concerns.
  • As always, make sure your content is tagged – this will make it less vulnerable overall.
  • Instant is currently not applied when using a browser search bar or a mobile device, but watch out for when it goes mobile.
  • Instant is making search easier for the user.

Overall, the consensus among professionals is that Google Instant makes search easier for the user, but that it has not measurably impacted user behavior either in SEO or PPC.

Employ core search marketing best practices

  • Information needs to be tagged appropriately and efficiently.
  • Social media sites need to link back to product pages.
  • Press releases and video must be a part of web strategy.

Share your insights

  1. Do search marketers overreact to algorithm changes?
  2. Have you altered your tactics since Google Instant?

Mobile, Local, Social, Personal: Google’s answer to “The Future of Search” straight from Google Senior Agency Relations Manager Lisa Green

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The Future of Search – Hosted at Google’s Cambridge Office, Presented by Google Senior Agency Relations Manager Lisa Green and SEMPO Boston Working Group

#Sempo_boston

Search is being redefined by mobile, local, social, personal, augmented reality

By a device revolution: Mobile phones

  • Increasing capabilities and ubiquity
  • Have almost human capabilities: ears, eyes, know who, what, where, why

Personalization How can we truly personalize?

Augmented reality Fuse digital to actual world

Localization & personalized search

  • iPhone users using maps 30 percent more than desktop users. No need to ID location.
  • You know where I am, I want sushi

Social circle personalization

  • New: Augment results with friends’ info, say on NZ what did they say/recommend
  • What do my friends think about type of mobile phone I’m investigating

Omnivorous search box: everything you’ve searched

  • Media
  • Photos, video, not just text. 100 billion images added to web every year
  • Image recognition
  • Look by color, size:  Google can understand what’s in the picture
  • Will be able to drag image into the search box
  • Google Goggles: take picture, search conducted from pic. Can take biz cards, add to contact lists
  • Image swirl: Similar to Wonder Wheel, system understands how images relate to each other

Adding greater depth to search

  • Play songs from search results
  • Add more languages, make Google universally accessible, can search and get results in native language

What’s new in Search blog posts updated every Friday, Google YouTube brand channel


Q&A

Q. How long until we have conversation w search engines? Have phone talk back to you?

A. Devices need improvement, technology is there on Google’s end

Q. Local listings: Google maps?

A. Local extensions released recently, improvements and beta tests within local Mobile, can target by device and carrier: AT&T and iPhone users within geo space

Q.  Does Google know searches across devices, if you searched from phone, will results on desktop reflect phone search?

A. Only if logged in, but try to keep separate so results not skewed

Q. Location-based banner advertising?

A. iPhone doesn’t allow but android does, up to the carriers, Google working toward those results while protecting privacy

Q. SEM mobile?

A. Device and carrier targeting is latest, for sponsored ads. Can select whether just want full browser phones. More coming in mobile

Other nuggets

  • Real-time results: are unfiltered, working to refine real-time
  • Hit all points in the algorithm, and businesses can appear in real-time results
  • Nexus One forthcoming for Verizon, Google was leaving development to device manufacturers, but now considering it
  • The way the search engine works fundamentally won’t change, but focusing on indexing
  • Seeing an increase in number of words users putting in the search: Majority of engineers working on search.
  • Google tries to be sure agencies are armed w info to sell search marketing (not SEO) so they understand how to grow business

Bottom line

Google’s focus is always on users and giving them what they want

Previous “Voice of Google” posts

SEMNE event: Google Adwords Best Practices with Malinda Gagnon of Google