instant... 🙂
Steve Rubel makes an the argument that Google Instant will kill SEO because:
Here’s what this [Google Instant] means: no two people will see the same web. Once a
single search would do the trick – and everyone saw the same results.
That’s what made search engine optimization work. Now, with this,
everyone is going to start tweaking their searches in real-time. The
reason this is a game changer is feedback. When you get feedback, you
change your behaviors.
Searches will be more unique — Agree
When you get feedback, you change your behavior — Agree
Once a single search would do the trick – and everyone saw the same results – Big deal
Search has always been a very personalized engagement with the Web. Just because people will be tweaking their searches does not mean that that search isn’t part of a common cluster of search terms that folks use. How many different ways can one search for a restaurant in Aspen Colorado? There are just so many terms that one can use. So I don’t believe that search will kill SEO. Pulling from Bob Warfield’s blog…Even the Google Smarter Predictions folks say, “Even when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, we
will push you in the direction of what the masses are looking for. We
will perturb search in the direction of sameness.” Again, there are masses of same search types out there which one could optimize around.
The more fundamental question is… should you have even been bothering with SEO to begin with? After all, as Bob Warfield points out, its content that’s king.
For marketing, content trumps SEO and links back to your site.
That’s not to say there is no value in SEO or links, just that if you
have to choose or prioritize, content is at the top of the heap. If
you’re a big company, you can probably choose to invest in all with far
more resources than perhaps are even needed. But the smaller your
budget, the more likely you had better choose and make the right
choice. Pssst: the right choice is Content!
Regarding SEO being marginalized, Bob argues:
If, instead of feedback changing behaviors to be less predictable as
Rubel implies, it actually makes the behaviors more predictable because
we are guided to sameness, SEO is still dead, but for a much less
interesting reason. This sameness makes it much harder to game. You
can no longer count on the Long Tail queries to help you out when you
can’t secure the top spots on the common queries. It is a repressive
tax on the Long Tail, in other words.
Agree that you can’t game the SEO system easily with Google Instant, although search providers have been making it harder to game the system for years now. So.. forget about Google Instant making SEO irrelevant. You can still optimize around those “sameness clusters” and focus on driving traffic with your compelling content.
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- Google Instant Is Here. Is It Time to Panic? (fathomseo.com)
- Does Google Instant Mark the End of SEO? (webpronews.com)
- Google Instant -the Death of SEO is somewhat exaggerated (broadstuff.com)
- How Will Google Instant Affect Local Search? (blumenthals.com)
Everybody in the SEO world knows that Google always changes the goalpost and as SEO experts we adapt because we can’t predict what search engines do, all we can do is follow white hat techniques to the best of our abilities. There should be no panic with Google Instant search is faster which has to be a good thing right?
[…] Google Instant makes SEO Irrelevant? Who cares?. […]
Thanx for your comment. As has been stated by me and others, SEO is being marginalized by the ability to develop outstanding content.
As a neophyte to social networking, and new to having a website I applaud the existence of your group and the insight you provide to small businesses like mine to assist us in making wise choices in the highly charged world of SEO and SEO Marketing. A small business can be easily duped into spending way too much money on web marketing by throwing dollars at SEO and SEO Marketing services if not for information like that provided in this post. I, too, agree that content reigns supreme and that effort, time, energy, and organized thought must be applied in that direction. I am still working on my site content but received a much needed dose of encouragement from your post to examine it even more closely. I will be “listening” regularly to what this group has to say on the topic of SEO. Thank you.
@lenora…. glad you received some encouragement from this post. There are a lot of smart folks who contribute to enterpriseirregulars.com. Good luck and if you have explicit questions, feel free to contact us!