Google Instant has caused changes to search engine results pages (SERPs) and search behavior. It focuses user attention on more popular search phrases, compressing long-tail keywords. Rich media like video thumbnails are more likely to engage users before search completion. While SafeSearch filters adult suggestions, traffic from mature keywords grew, possibly due to premature search endings. Marketers should optimize for head keywords, add rich media, and investigate keyword traffic changes. More data is still needed as Google Instant adoption increases.

1. RANKABOVE The SEO Effects Of Google Instant October 2010

3. Long-Tail Keyword Compression

4. Rich Media Rules

6. Our Mission What I Thought…

7. Our Mission What actually happened

8. Our Mission What actually happened

9. Our Mission Long Tail Compression Because Google Instant focuses the user’s attention on more popular search phrases, by suggesting them and showing their results, less users use more obscure phrases.

10. Our Mission How will it affect you? If your company sold iPod Car Adapters, but ranked for a lesser-used phrase, like “iPod Car Cables,” it is unlikely that a searcher using Instant would get to that search.

11. Our Mission Long tail data Traffic Keywords

12. Our Mission Rich media engagement Google Instant offers sites the opportunity to present content to users mid-search. Dynamic rich-media content, like video content with thumbnails, will greatly appeal to users and capture them before they complete their original intended search.

13. Our Mission Rich media rules! Video up 28% across the board!

14. Our Mission Prude paradox Even with SafeSearch turned off, Google Instant will not show suggestions for adult terms. Prudes. But for some reason, that makes traffic from mature phrases for non-adult sites, um, rise. Take a look at this.

15. Our Mission Prude paradox 33% Increase! SEX! SEX Traffic from mature keywords grew 20%. Traffic from keywords with the term “sex” shot up 33%

16. Our Mission Why? Once a user starts typing a word or phrase that Google thinks is going bad, it informs the user to “Press Enter to Search.” I think users might be finishing searches prematurely (I’ll stop now), and ending up on Safe for Work sites.

18. Better Keyword Research

20. Research keywords using Drive

21. Drop low-popularity terms that stopped driving traffic

22. Focus on head keywords

23. Move Page 2 results to Page 1

24. Check on your PPC campaigns

25. Add and optimize rich media content

26. Can you rank for “mature” keywords?

28. 10 Sites

29. 60MM+ Hits from SEO

30. 850K+ Keywords Driving Traffic

32. We’re still collecting data

33. Adoption is not universal