subject: Google Instant – 6 Months Later [print this page] Google Instant 6 Months Later Google Instant 6 Months Later
Back in September, Google officially launched Instant as a new tool for users of the search engine. The tool, in case you don't happen to be familiar with it, involves delivering search results as the user types, rather than waiting for them to hit the "Google Search" button after entering their keywords. In a sense, Instant is a bit like Google's Suggestions tool on steroids. (You may not realize it, but there was a time back in 2008, when Google didn't offer a dropdown box of keyword suggestions as users typed characters into the search query box. This feature (called Suggest) has become simply part of how Google works.)
For a more detailed description on how Instant works, check out this blog post I wrote about Instant when it originally launched.
There was some concern in the online marketing industry that the feature would have a major impact on SEO and other forms of search marketing. The media wasn't quite sure what to make of the new feature either, with some publications expecting it to be about as popular as Google Wave.
But, here we are six months down the road and Instant is clearly here to stay. According to recent figures released by Google, approximately 98% of users are "using" Instant. What this really means is that only 2% of Google users have opted to deactivate the tool. It could be argued that when the default setting is to have users opted-in for a feature, that opt-out numbers are typically low unless users really hate a feature. Be that as it may, the vast majority of Google users seem to either like the feature or aren't bothered enough by it to turn Instant off.
Instant has most definitely had an impact on Google user search behavior. Since its launch, users are typing 5% fewer characters into their search queries and finding a result 10% faster. On average, users are seeing results about 4-5 seconds faster than before Instant was introduced.
From an SEO and search marketing standpoint, Instant hasn't brought about any sort of massive shakeup in the industry. While many marketers and SEO experts have certainly worked to take Instant into account in their programs, there hasn't been a major shift in how sites are built or marketed with Google in mind. From an affiliate marketing standpoint, I have heard very little conversation about Instant since its launch, so I don't think it has really had a serious impact on our industry.
At this point, it looks as though Instant will join Suggest as a feature that simply becomes part of the overall Google search experience. Google Previews, which launched back in November, has also seemed to integrate fairly seamlessly with the overall search process. Because it requires a bit of additional effort on the user's part (moving your mouse over and clicking on the magnifying glass next to a search result) it isn't as obvious or distracting to typical Google users. While I haven't read much feedback on Instant Previews, since its launch, I would bet that it is on a similar trajectory to simply become part of Google's standard search offerings.
