Google Instant will change the search experience by predicting search terms and displaying results as a user types, removing the need to click search. This will increase importance of ranking for major key phrases as results are visible earlier. It may also benefit video/image results. For advertisers, it will lead to more frequent refreshing of ads, lowering quality impressions initially but potentially increasing clicks over time as users interact more with predicted results. Marketers will need to focus even more on targeting major industry keywords.

1. Google Instant – Search Before You Type:
What we believe it means for marketers
Google Instant represents a major change in search technology.
Built around Google Suggest, it predicts your search as you type
and streams results in real-time, including paid search ads.
This will have implications for both organic and paid search results
listings. In this briefing we discuss how it will affect marketers.
The Facts
 Google Instant, although initially just for signed in users, will become
the new search interface across major modern browsers.
 Google believes the change will save users 2-5 seconds per search.
What it means for SEO and Organic Search Results
Some studies have suggested that up to 70% of search queries have been
“Google has claimed that
influenced by Google Suggest. The change here is that Google Results pages only 10% of the ‘search
will automatically show content based on the most popular Google Suggest problem’ is solved. This is
result without requiring the user to select from a list. This also removes the part of Google’s attempt to
need to click the “Google Search” button or return key to see results. solve the remaining 90%.
Google Instant will deliver a
As well as intensifying the focus on major key phrases within suggested
results, this will make higher rankings more important for those phrases, as
new experience for users and
the top results are more likely to be inside the users area of focus when an additional challenge for
typing, rather than in their peripheral vision. This may also have a benefit marketers.”
for video/image listings, who will have the ability to “cut through” on a
rapidly changing page of results in a way that text cannot. John Newton, Head of Digital Marketing,
ClickThrough Marketing
What it means for AdWords Pay Per Click Search Results
The effects could be quite profound. Google Instant results change as users The ClickThrough View
type. Google states the avg. search takes 9 seconds to type, and with avg.
search query length at c.20 characters this will mean multiple results
• This change represents a further step
refreshes, with some results being visible for less than 1 second on screen. in the path towards “perfect” search,
This will, in the immediate term, create a sub-set of lower quality ad and an attempt to process over 1bn
searches a day more efficiently.
impressions (ads shown when the user is focussed on the search box, not
the results). These will not be counted by Google unless they last for at • By drawing on Google Suggest results,
least 3 seconds. However, as users start to click on ads based on Google there will be increased exposure for
those ranking for the most popular
Suggest results there will be intensified competition around major terms. search terms, and for PPC marketers,
The example below shows the changes that happen in real time as the more scrutiny of broad matching.
letters for the band name “fun lovin criminals” are keyed into a search box • AdWords clickthrough-rates will vary,
with Google Instant enabled, based on UK results on the 9th Sept 2010. but not too wildly as the “3 seconds
makes an ad impression” rule will
Text Typed In Term Predicted Ads Displayed apply to all ads shown.
"f" Facebook None • Video and Image results appearing on
"fu" Funny Games None the main results page could benefit
from added cut-through over text.
"fun" Funny Games None
• Overall, this change will once again
"fun " Fun Games Fun Games Related focus attention on the importance of
"fun l" Fun Links None identifying and targeting the major
Fun Lovin Criminals keywords for your industry, within
"fun lo" Fun Lovin Criminals your search marketing campaigns.
Music Related
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