Search Marketing and Digital agency ClickThrough share our thoughts on what Google Instant Preview will mean for search engine optimisation and pay per click marketing, and why a new focus on good web design means every page on your site needs to be thought of as a landing page in future.

1. “Google’s busy year
continues with this launch.
Google Instant Preview
brings web design right back
to the forefront of search
optimisation. Sites that are
clear and attractive will
benefit, and thin affiliate
sites lose out again”.
GoogleInstantPreview–ViewBeforeYouClick:
Whatwebelieveitmeansformarketers
Google Instant Preview gives users the ability to view a screenshot
of pages returned in search results listings without requiring them
to click through, and builds on the latest Google Instant technology.
This has ramifications for both organic and paid search results. In
this briefing we discuss how Google Instant Preview will affect you.
The ClickThrough View
The Facts
 Google Instant Preview allows users to see an image preview of sites in
search listings before they click through, with keywords highlighted.
 Initial tests show that people who have been exposed to Google Instant
Previews are 5% more likely to be satisfied with the results they click.
What is Google Instant Preview?
Traditionally if you wanted to view the content of a page within search
results you clicked on the link in the search results and you were then
taken to that page . With Google Instant Preview, simply click on the
spyglass next to a search result and a preview of the page will appear to the
right of the natural search results, in the area reserved for paid ads.
In addition, where a search term (or parts of a search term) occur more
than once on a page, Google breaks up the image of the page, then
highlights all instances where that text appears on the page, and enlarges
the relevant text snippet(s). This helps users understand where to scroll to.
What it means for Paid and Organic Search Results
This is another major change, following hot on the heels of Google Instant
earlier in the summer. The look and feel of sites now matter more than
ever before. Google Instant Preview forces webmasters to think about how
every page of their site will look as a 300-pixel-wide thumbnail .
Are the SERPs about to become a beauty contest? It’s certainly true that
pages with images and strong, clear layouts that translate well in thumbnail
form will potentially gain from Google Instant Preview. However, if your
site doesn’t have relevant content then Google still won’t be able to index
it, and so all other algorithm rules stay the same. Nevertheless, Google
does consider clickthrough rates from search results pages, and your site
design will now affect that thanks to Google Instant Preview.
The new feature will save time in the searching process, because users will
no longer need to “pogostick” with their search results (clicking from a
search results page to a site listed, and then clicking back to Google if
unsatisfied to choose another result). This means less page impressions.
Paid search ads will also be affected as the Instant Previews will hover over
the top of paid ads to the right of organic search results. This will focus
advertiser attention on the top 2-3 results shown at the top of each page.
Google Instant Preview doesn’t work on paid results, so users will not be
able to make a judgement on your landing pages prior to clicking.
• This change once again reinforces
Google’s goal of helping users
navigate search results more
efficiently and reduce “pogosticking”.
• The Websense 2010 Threat Report
suggested that 22.4% of Google
searches returned malicious sites
within the top 100 results. This is part
of Google’s response, helping
consumers fight back with more
information on search results.
• This provides another very valuable
source of data to Google on what
people like and dislike in page design.
However, as users haven’t arrived at
the page yet, usability is less
important than design ‘credibility’.
• Google Instant Preview puts every
site indexed under the microscope,
regardless of whether the webmaster
has installed Google Analytics or
Website Optimiser on their site.
Find out what we can do to grow your business. Call us on 0800 088 7486 or visit clickthrough-marketing.com
John Newton, Head of Digital Marketing,
ClickThrough Marketing