When Google asked users to buy-in to Google Instant, the general consensus was that PPC and SEO efforts would not be affected (though some felt SEO might indeed be dead). Matt McGee of Search Engine Land wrote his initial thoughts the same day as the Instant announcement, and he placed his bet with Instant. He emphasized that Google made it clear there were rules in place to determine what counted as an “impression” to keep any huge shift from occurring in SEO or PPC marketing. Some believed the effects of Instant would be negative, but they also weren’t folding until they knew for sure what those changes were.
So maybe I get caught up watching hours of the World Series of Poker unintentionally, and I may have picked up a few terms, but you get the point: everyone had opinions about what Instant might mean for PPC and SEO, but it was all speculation without data.
Now, it’s been more than seven months since Instant sat down at the table, and there’s data to look at, making this a hot topic at the SMX West conference last month. Jessica Lee of the Bruce Clay Blog attended the conference and wrote an article that relays what Google’s representatives were saying about Instant’s progress. There were reports that long-tail keywords were showing better overall organic click-through-rates on the SEO side. For PPC, users appeared to suffer from “shiny-object syndrome” and were clicking on ads 63% less due to distraction by the Instant feed (possible solutions to that problem were offered up).
It would appear there are benefits and drawbacks to Instant’s implementation in search, but how has it changed how you play your hand? We want to hear your thoughts on Instant now that you’ve had some time to see what effects it has had on your game plan, so share your opinions below in the comments section!
For further information about this topic, check out the following links:
- Google Instant Search Has Already Made Millions: Report-Search Engine Land
- SMX Live: Google Instant: 6 Months Later-Search Engine Roundtable
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more news updates from PPC Hero and SEO Boy!
