Presented byPresented by Kaushik PalKaushik Pal

Google Instant - Potential Impact Google Instant - Potential Impact on SEM and SEOon SEM and SEO

Google Instant – search @ Google Instant – search @ speed of typingspeed of typing

Launched on 8th Sept’10 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California by Marissa Mayer, Google, VP of Search Products and User Experience

Easier, faster and predictive way to search

Most significant change since advent of AdWords

Anticipates search phrases and shows results ‘instantly’

Displays predictive search + results even without hitting ENTER.

Google Instant should make Search more time efficient.

Google Instant - FAQs

• Dynamic Results – Google dynamically displays relevant search results as you type so you can quickly interact and click through to the web content you need.

• Predictions – Google Instant provides prediction of the rest of your query (in light grey text) before you finish typing.

• Scroll to Search – Scroll through predictions and see results instantly for each as users arrow down.

Google Instant – Core Features

Available on all desktop/laptop search users in US, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the UK.

Currently available only from Google homepage and not from browser search boxes. For subsequent searches, Google Instant will be invoked.

Not yet available on mobile devices. However, release of the same being planned for Fall’10.

How can users access Google Instant?

Driven by the notion of speed.

Earlier the average query entry time was around 9 secs; that will get reduced by 2-5 seconds per search – i.e. Upto 3.5 billion secs per day (if everyone uses Google Instant)

When a user starts to type a query into Google Instant, Google’s algorithm attempts to judge the rest of the search phrase based on popular queries typed by other users.

Google Instant – Key Features

Streaming Search Results – immediate search results displayed as a search phrase is typed, without pressing the ‘Enter’ key or clicking the ‘Search’ button

Predictive Text – Predictions are displayed in light grey text as a continuation of what is being typed and can be automatically filled in by pressing the ‘TAB’ key -

Key Features (Continued …)

Scroll to Search – The scroll to search feature allows users to preview Google’s search suggestions. Search result pages are automatically updated as users select them by using the down arrow key.

Key Features (Continued …)

• Definition of Ad Impression changes. Counted as an Ad Impression only if the user does one of the following:

- Presses enter to execute a search- Clicks on ‘search’- Clicks on a specific result- Clicks on a suggestion- Clicks on a refinement option- Pauses for 3 secs or more on a search result page

Can negatively impact CTR rate for high traffic keywords.

How does it affect the Search Marketer?

• Tracking of Google Instant – Google is currently not providing the means of separating out Ads served under Google Instant.

• Google Analytics – Google is currently not providing advertisers with reports segmenting Google Instant data.

• Ad Serving Methodology - Remains unchanged. Both organic results and sponsored links are displayed in the same manner as a normal search. [Ma] would display Google Instant results for [MapQuest] in a similar fashion for a routine search of [MapQuest]

How does it affect the Search Marketer? …. continued

Google Instant is ultimately a user experience innovation.

Google has not adjusted the methodology for calculating quality score and ad rank, or the rule around match types and negative keywords. At this time, it doesn’t look like

Google Instant will have any impact for the ranking of organic search results.

How does it affect the Search Marketer? …. continued

Extremely unknown and hard to predict at this stage

Currently only on computer based searches from Google homepage

Only a subset of all the Google searches

Negating the searches from mobile devices

Some searches will happen from non-supporting browsers

Some users may even ‘switch off’ the Google Instant Feature

How many will use Google Instant?

Long tail keyword like [las vegas hotel midweek specials] may get reduced to only [las] or [las vegas]

Relevant results will start showing up on initial keywords streaming search results

Potential to alter intended search query

Resulting in consolidation of ‘head terms’

How will it change the Users Search behaviour?

Alternately, few intended searches like [las vegas] may get converted to more specific searches like [las vegas hotel special]

Google Instant may even make the query extended

Query construction pattern – by looking at suggestions

Results Page Scanning behaviour – Top 2 search results

“Re-search” behaviour – may altogether change by looking into a more ‘intriguing’ search suggestion

How will it change the Users Search behaviour? ….continued

Upper funnel searches may shift towards torso - The presumption is that the user searching for an upper-funnel term may, choose the more specific keyword like search for [used cars] may get focused to [used cars los angeles]

Advertisers should closely monitor the suggested alternatives to their top performing head terms.

Impact on SEM

Long tail searches may also shift towards the middle –

Searches with a very specific intent, e.g. [san diego hotel for children near the ocean] may get truncated as soon as [san diego] or [ san diego hotel] results begin to appear on the page.

The advertiser needs to monitor that the search that normally would have been conducted on a long-tail query could end up having changed to a head or torso term with a much higher CPC.

Impact on SEM ….continued

Partial versions of high-volume keywords could get more impressions –

With Google pre-populating predictive results, a certain no. of users will click Enter before completing their search. For example, a search for [minivans] produces the results page by just typing [miniv]. Out of habit, some users will see the result they were looking for and hit Enter.

Rather than seeing the desired results, the user will see a result page that has absolutely nothing to do with family vehicles.

Impact on SEM ….continued

Bidding on these partial keywords could be an effective way to capture targeted traffic at a comparatively cheap price.

Impressions are poised to increase on high volume keywords

This can be an ‘early movers policy’ though

Quality score implications may make this strategy ineffective

May become cost prohibitive to buy

Impact on SEM ….continued

Google Suggest will be critical for keyword expansion. – Search marketers should identify these suggested alternatives across top geographies, and track them for increases in impressions. Also for keyword expansion and negatives.

Impact on SEM ….continued

Click through rates could decline for well-known brands. ‘Walmart’, ‘Domino’s’ … will be getting a lot of free advertising.

First words of multi-word keywords could become more important viz – soccer shoes.

Impact on SEM ….continued

Google Instant doesn’t ‘spell the death of SEO’ !!! Targetting long-tail keywords will be tough.

Possible shift in organic traffic from long-tail to mid-tail and head terms

Best practices of SEO will not change

SEO guys needs to consolidate his keywords pack

Keywords in Google suggest will get more important

Potential boon for big brands

First page and top positions are even more important

Impact on SEO

Google Instant is a game-changing innovation, Google Instant is a game-changing innovation, with the potential to fundamentally alter with the potential to fundamentally alter search behavior. More in coming times …search behavior. More in coming times …