Google Instant is a major change to the User Experience (UX), or look and feel, of Google Search. It predicts your searches as you type them, and displays the results for those suggested searches with requiring you to press “enter.” As a leader in search engine optimization, RankAbove has undertaken initial research on what the knock on affect will be for the world of search. In this deck, Eli Feldblum, CTO and Founder of RankAbove walks us through Google Instant and shows you what steps you need to take to ensure high rankings and increased traffic to your site.

1. September 2010 RANKABOVE Google Instant: What It Means For You

2. Our Mission Google Instant is a major change to the User Experience (UX), or look and feel, of Google Search. It predicts your searches as you type them, and displays the results for those suggested searches without requiring you to press “enter.” What is instant?

3. Our Mission Let’s Let Google Explain Further: What is instant?

4. Our Mission The Predictions, or Suggestions, in Google Instant are based on search volume. If you’re logged in, your predictions are also affected by your search history, location and other personalization factors. How does it work?

5. Our Mission The biggest change in Google Instant is that users no longer need to click ‘enter’ to see results. Because the dropdown box showing suggestions covers area used for search results, less results are shown on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). What Changed?

6. Our Mission What Changed?

7. Our Mission The Predictions used by Google Instant are the same as those used by Google Suggest, which became the default in August 2008. What Stayed the same?

9. Our Mission Less Space on SERP Depending on screen size, searchers using Google Instant will see between 2 and 5 organic results, instead of the 4 to 7 results seen without Instant. Traffic for lower rankings may significantly decline. How will it affect you?

10. Our Mission More Competition for Head Keywords Google Instant increases impressions for head keywords, even when the searcher intends to type a tail search, which means more traffic from head keywords if you already rank highly—and more competition for those coveted spots. How will it affect you?

11. Our Mission Increased Page 1 Strength Google Instant is slightly changing user behavior; users now scroll to the bottom of page 1 and increasingly click results in the last two positions, but those users are not clicking to page 2. Time to focus on optimizing results ranking on the top of the page 2 and moving them to the bottom of page 1. How will it affect you?

12. Our Mission Long-Tail Keyword Compression Because Google Instant focuses the user’s attention on more popular search phrases, by suggesting them and showing their results, less users will use more obscure phrases. How will it affect you?

13. Our Mission Long-Tail Keyword Compression If your company sold iPod Car Adapters, but ranked for a lesser-used phrase, like “iPod Car Cables,” it is unlikely that a searcher using Instant would get to that search. How will it affect you?

14. Our Mission Rising PPC Costs Long Tail Keyword Compression also means less opportunity to gain PPC traffic from less-searched, but less-expensive, keywords. That means more competition and higher prices on heavier-searched, suggested terms. How will it affect you?

15. Our Mission Rising PPC Costs Combined with the opportunity to focus on less keywords and phrases, the rising PPC costs and diminishing PPC long tail presents a great opportunity for extra focus on SEO. How will it affect you?

16. Our Mission Better Keyword Research Google offers four main options for keyword research, but none as relevant or accurate as the data now provided by Google Instant, which based on trailing 30 days of search volume. How will it affect you?

17. Our Mission Better Keyword Research AdWords doesn’t know about the new Nano; Instant does. vs. How will it affect you?

18. Our Mission Engagement & Rich Media Google Instant offers sites the opportunity to present content to users mid-search. Dynamic rich-media content, like video content with thumbnails, will greatly appeal to users and capture them before they complete their original intended search. How will it affect you?

19. Our Mission Unshown Instant Terms Even with SafeSearch turned off, Google Instant will not show suggestions for adult terms. As such, long tail searches won’t be affected, but head keywords should drive more traffic to sites with “mature” but not “adult” content. How will it affect you?

23. RankAbove was founded in 2007 with the objective of creating a comprehensive platform for search professionals working on large websites – over 1,000 pages. This unique technology would combine keyword research, search analytics, in-depth site analysis, link building and predictive modeling to provide brands with a complete understanding of how search is affecting their business-- and how to positively affect their business with search. The result is Drive . Contact us at: [email_address] About RankAbove