While visiting DK New Media’s new office location in downtown Indianapolis, DK CEO Douglas Karr pulled up Google.com on his Mac.
“Did you see that Google Instant came out today?” he asked.
“What’s that?”
Douglas pulled up a Google search and started to type in a few words.
“Oh, wow,” I said, “Where was that today when I needed it?”
Among the updates Google has made to their offering:
- Gmail Priority Inbox - which I’d say, “Office has done this forever,” but then I remember Gmail is free.
- Google Tags - Something I need to play more with.
- Google Adwords Keyword Research Local Search Volume Stats Tweak (maybe)
Google Instant might be the most helpful SEO tool Google’s released in a long, long time.
What is Google Instant?
Google Instant is a feature that shows the page 1 listings for the keyword as you type them. And changes the results as the keywords change.
Check out the video:
Why Is This Cool?
How many times do you type in a query, hit the enter button, not like the results, go back, type in another query, hit the enter button…Yeah. What this does is allows you to play with search queries and “try before you buy.”
Why Is This Important?
1) How people search will change – Instead of typing in a phrase, clicking the enter button and seeing what appears, searchers can craft their phrases as they go. If they get a few words deep and they don’t like what’s appearing, they can backspace and go again. Long tails were already increasing in possibility. Something tells me keyword combination are going to start becoming more serial-based and descriptive.
For example: I found myself playing Charades with the SERPS when I first searched using Google Instant.
“Band Southern Rock James Brown sound.”
“Band James Brown sound Lollapapooza.”
“This band sounded like James Brown and Southern Rock at Lollapalooza.”
Then I realized, “Lollapalooza 2009 band list.” And finally found the band I was looking for.
Black Joe Lewis & the HoneyBears – by the way, great stuff!
2) Easier to show the customer the dynamic nature of search engines – ever try to explain to a client that search engines have SERPs for every keyword phrase? It doesn’t always go over so well. With Google Instant, you’ll be able to start typing in a keyword, and as you take that keyword into a keyword phrase, then to a long tail keyword, the client can see how the results shift. Having that type of instant update to the SERPs is going to be like an animated video that you’ll be able to show your customers when explaining how SEO works.
3) Cutting down the work time – on the Google Instant page, Google claims that searches will be cut by “2-5 seconds per search,” with the help of Instant. I believe it.
If you haven’t taken Google Instant out for a spin. Do so. It’s not perfect, yet. And you’ll come up with search phrases that Google will be clueless on. It happens. But after playing with it, I believe you’ll find that if Bing can claim to be “The Decision Engine,” then Google can boast that they’ve become “The Collaboration Engine.”
Sadly, I think “Collaboration Engine” is patented. Only one way to find out…
Search two with Google Instant is underway…
Speaking of musical great stuff, check out this demonstration Google did using Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues
     | do some of that social network stuff. |
