Google Instant: How SEO is Affected

Presenters:

Travis Low Kipp Bodnar

Director, Search Marketing Manager, Inbound Marketing

WebMarketing123 HubSpot

@TravisLowSEO @Kbodnar32

1) SEO Overview

2) Google Instant – What Has Changed

3) Implications Moving Forward

4) Key Takeaways

Topics Covered

Where Searchers Click

Source: “iProspect Blended Search Results Study” by JupiterResearch, 2008

Site Content

Meta Content

URL’sInbound Links

Keywords

Content

Silos

SEO Fundamentals: The 6 Pillars

1) SEO Overview

2) Google Instant – What Has Changed

3) Implications Moving Forward

4) Key Takeaways

Topics Covered

Searchers Don’t

Need “Enter”

Instant Did Not Include

Algorithm Changes

“Google is now taking a much

more active role in leading

searchers to not just the answer,

but also the question itself.”

– Search Engine Watch,

http://searchenginewatch.com/3641319

What is still going to change?

User Behavior

• Query construction patterns

• Click patterns

• Page-scanning behavior

Mobile Later This Year

1) SEO Overview

2) Google Instant – What Has Changed

3) Implications Moving Forward

4) Key Takeaways

Topics Covered

Long-Tail Vs. Short-Tail

“First to show up as predicted query”

“First page rankings even more important

now”

Short-Tail/Headmatch

“Won’t be first results people see”

“Searchers will better understand how to

modify queries and can easily get more

specific with long-tail phrases and auto-

complete suggestions”

Long-Tail

Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords

617,296 Keywords50.20%

612,358 Keywords49.80%

# of Traffic-Driving Keywords

9/8 - 9/14 (Week After Google Instant)

9/1 - 9/7 (Week Before Google Instant)

SEO/Organic Search Implications

• No change to organic ranking algorithm

• More important to rank above the fold for more general terms

• Optimize for broader, more general headmatch terms

• Focus on Title/Meta Description

• Grab searchers’ attention and increase click-through rate

• Google’s auto-complete suggestions will get even more search

volume

PPC/Paid Search Implications

Impressions defined in 3 ways:

1. User begins a search query and clicks anywhere

on page

2. User chooses a particular query by clicking

search button, hitting enter, or selecting an auto-

complete suggestion

3. User stops typing and results are displayed for

minimum of 3 seconds

PPC/Paid Search Implications

Increase in Impressions means…

• Potential decrease in click-through rate

(but not necessarily clicks)

• Quality of clicks will increase as users

learn to search using terms that best

connect them with the answers that they

need

PPC/Paid Search Implications

Other Implications:

• A rise in CPC for the head terms that auto-complete

• As Advertisers get more savvy, competition for ads for these

terms will increase the CPC

• Because of the instant search drop-down box, ads in lower

positions get pushed below the fold

• Will increase CPC and competition for top positions

• As Searchers get lazy, long tail keywords will see less

impressions

• But the long tail keywords that receive clicks will be a more

relevant audience

1) SEO Overview

2) Google Instant – What Has Changed

3) Implications Moving Forward

4) Key Takeaways

Topics Covered

Key Takeaways

“Google Instant makes no

change to ranking algorithm,

but significantly affects user

experience”,

“Too early to tell exactly how

user behavior will change, but

first page rankings and auto-

complete suggestions now

more important”

“Impressions for headmatch

terms will increase, but quality

of search terms will improve

over time as users are given

more long-tail suggestions”

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