Have you noticed that since September 8th when you are doing a search on Google they start giving you a list of search options even before you finish typing? Google rolled out 'Google Instant' which second-guesses what you are looking for. I feel like Google is now one of those friends who finishes your sentences for you.
The idea that my search patterns and location are helping Google to point me in the right direction is interesting. The idea that they are offering me a time saver is swell. According to Google, "Using Google Instant can save 2-5 seconds per search". That can add up if you spend a lot of time searching.
But now I have to wonder how does this change things? Will search rankings be impacted? Google says NO, but I find that hard to believe.
I believe that most searchers will take the fast result being offered up if it seems close enough to their original intention and this can impact what searchers select. As someone begins to type in a search term - hopefully your keyword - Google will start to offer up suggestions that complete the word or phrase and if it isn't one you are targeted for then you well could lose a searcher before they even finish their thought.
What criteria does Google use to bring up 'Instant'? Your search history and location help Google to offer up suggestions as you begin to type, I love it when they say, "Even when you don't know exactly what you're looking for, predictions help guide your search." They also offer the most commonly searched for terms. That points to the big brands for results. I feel as though all the work to focus on local is now being redirected back to big business and national chains and that small businesses can be negatively impacted by this recent upgrade.
If you are using PPC as part of your advertising then you will want to pay close attention to the metrics as you could be in for some fluctuations. It could improve impressions as a searcher types each letter and each time Google offers suggestions the ads change as well. This could negatively impact your ratings as your impressions may increase while your click rate might decrease.
Keep a close watch on your organic traffic statistics to see if you are losing or gaining. You might want to start testing out your keyword searches now to see what Google is offering up in Google Instant and to observe where traffic might be diverted.
I also strongly suggest that you begin to rethink your search terms. What are potential customers typing into the search bar when looking for a product or solution that you have to offer? Too often we get stuck on words and phrases we believe are our 'get found' words but are these really the words and phrases being used? Try doing a little research using Google's free AdWords tool https://adwords.google.com
This exercise will provide you with actual statistics of local and global searches of various words and phrases, and provides a bar chart showing local search trends. You may have gotten your key words and phrases on the money and you might be surprised to find out you have a disconnect from what you think people search for versus what they are actually typing into the search bar. Now with Google Instant, my best guess is you will need to pay attention to the popular search phrases if you want to show up.
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