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

by ChrisCree
17 replies
  • SEO
    • |
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?
#crowd #google #google instant #question #silly
  • Profile picture of the author GameVoid
    Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post


    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.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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+.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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    • Profile picture of the author radivoj
      Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post

      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.
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  • Profile picture of the author patey88
    Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post


    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
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    • Profile picture of the author ChrisCree
      Originally Posted by patey88 View Post

      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.
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      • Profile picture of the author patey88
        Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post

        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.

        http://www.warriorforum.com/ad-netwo...ml#post2497986

        I hope it's enough for you to get it working, but if it's not just ask. -- P.
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        • Profile picture of the author ChrisCree
          Originally Posted by patey88 View Post

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

          http://www.warriorforum.com/ad-netwo...ml#post2497986

          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!
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post

    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
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    Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author peterj
    Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post

    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
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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    Tim Pears

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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.

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  • Profile picture of the author seoforu
    I too agree...Ginstant will affect seo.
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    Guest post links are effective when they are contextual and natural!!

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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulson
    Matt cutts talks about SEO and Google Instant. Thoughts on Google Instant
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