A quick follow up to the Google Instant Search case study from earlier this week… this is certainly a topic that has generated a significant amount of attention. In case you want to read it online, I’ve posted it here: http://www.customerparadigm.com/index/600/google-instant-CPC-SEO-case-study.php
The jury is still out as to whether or not Google Instant search will decrease long-tail keyword searches, because Google Instant displays results as you type in the first part of a phrase. Many experts are now arguing that Google’s instant suggestion tool allows people to type in even longer strings of words into the search box (as the results change as someone types). This is good news, as it’s a lot easier for a business or organization to get ranked for longer-tail keywords (they`re less competitive). Here`s a real example of a long-tail keyword search from Monday of this week:
Last Friday, I was at the Religion Writers conference in Denver (http://www.RNA.org/), where my wife, Rabbi Jamie Korngold, was speaking to 192 of the top religion writers in the country. Monday she received a call from a New York Times reporter for a story she was writing. She assumed this inquiry came through the conference last Friday, but the reporter later mentioned she found her using a Google search on the phrase “Alternative Bar Mitzvah Rabbi” (Jamie`s site is the #1 result for this and other permutations.) Approximately 42% of people who search on Google will click on the first link that appears in the natural search results. Let me know if you`d like to discuss how Google Instant affects your website… — Jeff