Google's Instant SEO Challenge

Does Google Instant provide an SEO minefield or just expand the way we think about keyword selection?

All across the Twitterverse and in industry blogs the question is being raised, "Is Google Instant what will kill off SEO?"

I think that Google Instant provides a challenge for those of us in the Search Marketing industry. For a long time we in the SEO field have been trying to find the secret sauce of Google and trying to figure out what keywords are driving results to our clients' pages. We now not only have to think about the ultimate keyword they will use to find what they are looking for but what keywords they will start searching with. Most recently long-tail keywords have been the solution to how most searchers ultimately find what they are looking for, as the head terms are increasingly less relevant as more pages fill up these results but not targeted to what the searchers are looking for.

I believe searchers have grown accustomed to using more long-tail queries first to get at what they really want and have started adjusting their searching habits to avoid those pages that seemingly have less specific results.

Ok, now how does this apply to Google Instant?

Google is now taking a step away from the searcher by predicting what they are going to type for their query. No longer does the searcher have to waste time reformatting their query for head terms or long-tail terms. Google is now showing what results they would get if they did decide to go for the often irrelevant head terms automatically without additional keystrokes. As a searcher knowing that these results will be presented to me instantly I am more likely to try those terms knowing that I can quickly adjust that query and get what I am try looking for but it doesn't hurt to look at those head terms since they are there anyway.

As a search marketer I need to take into account how my clients' customers are searching for their products. As I mentioned previously this was focusing on a few head terms and a large portion of long-tail keywords but with the new adaptation of Google Instant it will be important to try for those head terms as they will now be viewed and considered more often because they will be the first results given for a specific query even if the searcher is heading toward the long-tail keyword.

So bottom line is that this will be a difficult period for search marketers, the results won't change instantly but SEO practitioners need to start working through their keyword strategy and see how this will ultimately affect their customers' experience of search for their products or services.

Where is search going and how can I jump on?

First off, hello again.  It has been a long while since I have done a post.  A full-time job will do that to ya.

Something that I have noticed as a theme in all the articles and forums and twitter posts that I read is that everyone wants to know where search marketing is going and how can I get on board.  Here is some quick advice I have for those that want to dive in:

Do your research!...Search engine marketing is multi-faceted and there things that work well for some sites and things that are detrimental if done incorrectly or not fully thought out.  Don't rush into it...know what you are getting into and plan for a loooonnnnngggg process that will fluctuate and morph into something completely different.

Seek out advice and share advice... A trend that I have noticed in the SEM industry is that aside from a few thought-leaders who are willing to expose every thought and tactic that they have there is a culture of "I don't want anyone else to know what I am doing"  I think this is BS, sure we all have our client secrets and methods but being tight-lipped about issues, problems, or successes should not be under lock and key.  I was recently on a panel with 2 other area SEM practitioners.  That panel was great, I think everyone learned a lot but, at the same time, we didn't exactly reveal our secret-sauce to our success but were able to give some guidance to those that were curious about SEO and social media. This is what I would like to see happen more often.  Maybe I am in too small a SEM community to have experienced this before but I think the opportunities are here and in all regions.

Test and re-test...As I mentioned above search engine marketing is changing and fluctuating at a rapid pace.  Set up a system to analyze your progress and what is working and what is not.  Start with a testing schedule. What are you going to test? What is going to be your control group? What determines success (this is different for every site even in the same category)?  How much data do you need to determine that success (hint 5 clicks to your site does not determine success)?

Basically have a plan, research how to implement the plan, get knowledgeable advice, implement, test implementation and then start again from step one.




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