The new Google Instant has been launched recently in the US. Just what type of impact will it have on your search engine optimisation? Google Instant is an enhancement to the search engine process where your search will actually be predicted by Google. As you type in your keywords the search engine will complete it on your behalf. Here are some steps to take to manage this change to search marketing:
Stay Calm
You may find that there are fluctuations in traffic levels as a result of this change. As with all SEO campaigning keep an eye on the traffic changes and start to formulate ways to manage any adverse reactions. There’s no need to panic and avoid trawling through Google Analytics every day as the data will only provide useful results over a significant period of time. Without this you may find that the results are inconsistent and provide you little insight. Don’t jump in with any drastic changes to your search engine optimisation. Speak to your SEO company and get them to review your data. They can advise you on any amendments that need to made.
Possible Effects to SEO
There are several possible scenarios that may be created by the Google Instant updates. Here are some possibilities:
1. It could reinforce those on the top spots. The Google Instant search bar is bigger, which reduces the size of the scroll bar. In short, this means there will be less results per page and those web users using low resolutions will only get a couple of results.
2. It is likely to give even greater clout to big brands. The bigger brands are likely to rank more frequently for short tail searches. This means that the big brands could potentially get even more clicks that before.
3. Adult search terms. Searching for adult search terms will not produce results on Google Instant. A web user will have to hit enter to get results displayed which could reduce the amount of clicks for this type of term.
4. Longtail impacts – there will be users that search regularly and may type quicker leaving Google Instant little time to react. This means the impact will be small to these users. It may also reduce the amount of long tail searches as Google Instant groups searches into smaller search terms.
5. SEO tools – A good SEO services company will use a range of SEO tools for keywords, analysing trends and creating campaigns. Google Instant means we have to be ensure that data collected for search terms is accurate and is not skewed by impression data that is not accurate.
6. Google Analytics – The affect on Google Analytics may be considerable. If a user only typed in ‘w’ before they clicked on your site, the data for that visit will not provide you any insights. Google maintains that the data for these short-queries will opt for the most popular search term. In the case of ‘w’ it would opt for ‘weather’.
At searchengineoptimisation.co.uk we are an SEO company that keeps apace of all industry developments.
There’s not a lot of point in having an expertly made, beautifully designed website if no one’s going to see it. As you probably know from experience, and as any good SEO services will tell you, you need to appear on results pages if you want visitors to come to your site.
It’s normal for well over 50% of traffic to arrive at your pages via search engine results, so if you don’t appear high on the choices presented to users, you’re losing an awful lot of visitors, and the revenue they bring. Ranking highly is a complicated endeavour, and one that many businesses choose to get advice about from a specialist company.
We’ve compiled a list of five tips that will really help you to get your site noticed and indexed well by search engines. Whether or not you choose to employ the services of a good SEO agency, we feel sure you’ll want to keep them in mind with a view to achieving success.
1. Keep introducing new content. It’s been well known for a long time that search engines know the difference between a site that introduces fresh content on a regular basis and one that doesn’t. The assumption is probably that a site that features new and original content is more interesting for users. It’s a sound assumption. Good marketing is normally good SEO and having new content does appeal to users. So if you want to stay interesting and appealing to users and the search engines that take you to them, have good and original content flowing onto your pages. Remember that an SEO blog is an excellent way of introducing brand new content appear regularly.
2. Use useful keywords wisely. The words users type into search engine query boxes are some of the best SEO tools at your disposal, and not making full use of them would be very reckless indeed if you want to get good results for your site. Decide on the keywords that should bring users to your door, and signpost accordingly. Feature keywords wherever it’s appropriate to do so; in text, titles, links etc. Bear in mind though, search engines are intolerant of sites that abuse the benefits of keywords. Stick to words that are relevant to what your site provides. Doing otherwise amounts to tricking users into visiting your site and is essentially spamming. Search engines are powerful and they have sophisticated methods of deciding how relevant to searches your site is. Always stick to ethical practise, with keywords as with other features of your SEO.
3. Actively encourage good links. Links are vitally important because they allow the software sent by search engines to travel the web, assess your site and index it accordingly. They travel the web via links. This is not the only reason why they are important. Links tell the software, and therefore the search engines, a great deal about your site. If you have relevant links, i.e. from places that are obviously related to what you do, then you’ll be seen as a good bet for inclusion in results. The benefits of good links should not be underestimated, as they really can mean the difference between success and failure.
4. Feature a sitemap and link efficiently within your site. When search engines look at your site, they want to know how easy it is for users to navigate. The more user-friendly it is, the better it will appear to them, and the more points you’ll score in terms of ranking on results pages. Feature plenty of links back to your homepage, and be sure to have a sitemap. A sitemap makes it easier for users to navigate and it also makes your content more transparent to the software sent by search engines. Link building is an important part of SEO within your site, as well as from outside it.
5. Have text on your pages. While the software sent by search engines is extremely sophisticated, it is not all-powerful. In order to allow search engine software to read what’s on your pages, feature a lot of text. The software generally finds it difficult or impossible to penetrate Flash, drop-down menus, or anything within frames.
Get advice from expert SEO consultants about the many other things you can do to benefit your site and your prospects! However in depth your SEO becomes, remember our five useful tips!
