Silly Question for the "Google Instant is Killing SEO" Crowd

[ChrisCree]

I have a question for the SEO experts among us who are freaked out by the Google Instant roll out.

What percentage of Google searches are actually typed into the search box on Google.com vs other places?

Does anyone know of any hard data on this?

Because, unless I'm mistaken, most every search not initiated in the search field on a Google page is completely unaffected by Google Instant. Off the top of my head, this includes places like

• Browser search fields,
• My iGoogle home page search box
• Google searches embeded in other websites.

I do nearly all of my searches in the search field in my browser, which is FireFox, more often than not. I even tend to go back up to that field for repeat searches just out of habit.

Am I a freak for that behavior?

Or is this whole Google Instant panic a little overblown?

[GameVoid]

Originally Posted by ChrisCree

Or is this whole Google Instant panic a little overblown?

I am sure it will affect some people, and it might be affecting me.

My main blog site was receiving about 20-30 visits a day from google. On the day Google Instant went live that dropped to 2-3 visitors per day. Most of the hits on my blog have always come from long tail keyword searches, and those have disappeared.

But I only have 4 days of data to look at, and my other sites are still doing okay.

Notes:
Traffic data comes from Google Analytics
My main keywords are still in their original rank positions
1 site and 4 days is not enough to declare a panic (on my end) since I am moving into different areas, but it is sad to see it happen

My EZA, Suite101, AssociatedContent articles were not impacted in either direction by Google instant.

[The Oilman]

ChrsCree I am confused by what you're asking

Are you saying people are going to abandon google for this?

You can turn instant off. I did it immediately. I think its the stupidest thing Google has ever come up with.

Since most searches are long tail, it make no sense.

What if I am searching for:

Horse Breeders in Wisconsin

For example. I dont want the results for Horse, Horse Breeders, or Horse Breeders in.

I think the only people this could help are really slow typers and maybe older people, like 60+.

[radivoj]

In case you care, I think Google Instant is pretty cool. It certainly does save some typing time, and it's fast enough that it doesn't slow me down
But as far as SEO goes, not much is going to change based on this version of Instant. Google's Keyword tools update will start to reflect the new search volumes keywords are getting due to the change over to Instant, and webmasters will optimize for those keywords as they always have.
If Google decides to modify the way Instant works things may be different — but who could predict all of the changes that have occurred over the last few years that webmasters have had to adapt to? There's no sense in trying to second guess the industry. All webmasters can do is what they've always done — adapt as it happens.
For now, however the SEO sky is not falling.

[ChrisCree]

No, I don't think people will abandon Google at all over this. I just don't understand why SEO types are freaking out like it's the coming of the Apocalypse Doom for all SEO's and their businesses.

My thinking is most, or at least a significant portion of, Google searches won't even be affected at all by Google Instant.

Besides, SEO is a constantly changing game anyway right? Folks who work in that field should expect Google to change the rules from time to time, I'm thinking. If it were easy, we'd all be SEO's.

[radivoj]

Originally Posted by ChrisCree

No, I don't think people will abandon Google at all over this. I just don't understand why SEO types are freaking out like it's the coming of the Apocalypse Doom for all SEO's and their businesses.

My thinking is most, or at least a significant portion of, Google searches won't even be affected at all by Google Instant.

Besides, SEO is a constantly changing game anyway right? Folks who work in that field should expect Google to change the rules from time to time, I'm thinking. If it were easy, we'd all be SEO's.

Who knows if Google will even stick with this new google instant feature
They have had a lot of new features that were fully deployed in the past and then disappeared so this might be another one of those.

[patey88]

Originally Posted by ChrisCree

What percentage of Google searches are actually typed into the search box on Google.com vs other places?

Does anyone know of any hard data on this?

Month to date for September, 40% of my organic search visitors from google entered their search on the google home page, as opposed to in the browser search field or somewhere else.

I've always been aware that most visitors don't use the google page. I wish they did, because if they do the full referral path tells me where I ranked for the keyword. The path includes &cd=3 if I ranked 3rd, for example.

But if they search from the browser toolbar, or from a phone, you get a lot less information in the path.

-- Patey

[tpw]

Originally Posted by ChrisCree

I have a question for the SEO experts among us who are freaked out by the Google Instant roll out.

I don't think the real experts are the ones freaking out, but the amateurs who think they know a little about seo.... LOL

[ChrisCree]

Originally Posted by patey88

I've always been aware that most visitors don't use the google page. I wish they did, because if they do the full referral path tells me where I ranked for the keyword. The path includes &cd=3 if I ranked 3rd, for example.

Do you see the referring URL in your Google Analytics or another stats package? I see keywords and a bunch of other things in GA, but can't find the referring URL from Google search.

[patey88]

Originally Posted by ChrisCree

Do you see the referring URL in your Google Analytics or another stats package? I see keywords and a bunch of other things in GA, but can't find the referring URL from Google search.

In analytics. Here's a link to another post where I once explained how you set up GA to see full referral paths.

Finally it's converting

I hope it's enough for you to get it working, but if it's not just ask. -- P.

[peterj]

Originally Posted by ChrisCree

Or is this whole Google Instant panic a little overblown?

Jonothan Leger made an interesting post on his Blog Here regarding Google instant. Might be worth a read.

Pete

[timpears]

I have yet to see Google Instant, so not sure what everyone is talking about. I have heard of it of course. My wife has encountered it, but it isn't on my machine. Don't know how I managed to not get it, but I can't say that I am missing anything.

If things change, then webmasters will adjust to the change and so everything will be back to normal in time. I don't think it will be that big of a deal.

[seojedi]

The answer is...it's too early to tell.

Ginstant will, over time, change the way people search, iF they leave it in place. Most users are not savvy. They will take what is put in front of them and deal with it or learn to use it slowly.

If anything, it now creates an opportunity for SEO Pro's to up their game and KNOW your long tail, test your long tail and optimize for it....something most people never do intentionally.

In identifying, knowing and optimizing your long tail, you can optimize for Ginstant results.

[warriorkay]

I agree that it's too early to tell. But if it
affects SEO, it will also affect google's
adwords as people won't click as they used
to and advertisers will begin to notice a
drop in traffic. So, if this happens, Google
might have to discontinue it.

Kingsley

[seoforu]

I too agree...Ginstant will affect seo.

[ChrisCree]

I can see how it will "affect" SEO. But I don't see how it will "kill" it like some of the doom-and-gloomers are saying.

Seems like the same game, different day to me.

[ChrisCree]

Originally Posted by patey88

In analytics. Here's a link to another post where I once explained how you set up GA to see full referral paths.

Finally it's converting

I hope it's enough for you to get it working, but if it's not just ask. -- P.

Sweet! I set it up this morning. I'll let you know if I run into any problems with it working after Google's had a chance to apply the filter, though your instructions look pretty clear.

Thanks a ton!

[paulson]

Matt cutts talks about SEO and Google Instant. Thoughts on Google Instant