But Maybe the End to Longtail…

On September 8th, 2010 Google made an announcement that supposedly will change the landscape of search. Google Instant is supposed to deliver live results as you type. We’re not talking about the suggestion box of related queries, but actual results predictive to what you type. It’s supposed to save time, and maybe it will. Relevance to me as a user? I tweeted this (@distinctseo):

#googleinstant Fails b/c 90% of the time I use toolbars to enter queries. Then again the ‘new tech’ is probably not geared to me..

I’m sure there are many like me, but conversely, there are many more who aren’t. Then came a tweet from an astute friend who tweeted us about this post that claimed Google Instant will make SEO Irrelevant. The article is wrong for a number of reasons.

Firstly, as noted above, not everyone searches using the toolbar and the results when I use my browser toolbar are all based on the ‘rules of SEO’. Secondly, to piggyback on point 1, the search results still have to be based on SOMETHING. Just because Google offers predictive results doesn’t mean they are fetching the results using different criteria–they are only choosing to display fewer results.

For example, if you’re searching for “dog house building plans” you’re not going to get relevant websites until the end of the query, but as you’re typing ‘bui..’ you’re going to get the top results for ‘dog house buildings’ and also ‘dog house building plans’. Let’s just assume both those queries will yield 50% of the result page (instead of the entire 10 spots for your query), which means if you were in place 5-10 for ‘dog house building plans’ you may not garner results.

Thus, the need to solidify your website as an exceptionally strong industry player is crucial. It’s ever MORE important to rank well in your target markets if you have half the real-estate available in results (our example).

That brings me to my third point. We’re not facing the end of SEO, but let me clarify what I mean. I don’t think the ‘on-page optimization’ factors that anybody can learn in a flash and use to influence search engine rankings using keyword relevancy, targeted title elements, etc., will play a major role, not that they did in the past either. These items, in my opinion, barely amount to 10% of what it takes to rank. Furthermore, when people refer to SEO they typically think of these tactics, they don’t think of the much harder and crucial components of the other 90%.

What’s the other 90%? Content and links. Since it will be even more important to rank higher then the focus is squarely on web promotion — acquiring related incoming web links.

To reiterate. Google needs to display some form of results within Instant, they are going to use the same rules (when they do’nt then THAT will be big news), so you better be sure you’re competing. Link will propel you where you want to go.

The impact may be more pronounced on long tail keyword searches, unless Google Instant does a good enough job to deliver long tail results in predictive queries. I foresee this being a huge problem and perhaps a stumbling block for Google Instant relevancy.

However, the converse may also be true as well. Predictive results may want to deliver results with greater relevancy for correlating long tail searches, especially as you complete a longer and more precise.

So how do you rank for longtail searches? Two ways: links and content! Links to help you rank for obscure terms that are related to your industry (which you’re getting links for), and the supporting content that has the terms (or close to) someone is searching for.

If anything, Google Instant will open the door for a whole new type of optimization! What it doesn’t do is eliminate it, in fact, it seems to make SEO, or at least the type of SEO that seeks to develop a long term strategy around link development and value added content, more important.