Google’s new platform, Instant Search, displays and predicts a search engine results page (SERP) while the user is still typing. Like the auto-complete feature, this instant search pushes the user into a well-traveled road hoping to make the search faster and more streamlined.

Unfortunately for the advertiser, the well-traveled road means less opportunity in the long tail. With more advertisers competing in the same space, the auction prices for head terms will rise in both volume and price, at the expense of less expensive/less common search terms.

A worst-case scenario, and perhaps overly dramatic, is that tools like AdWords shift in nature from high ROI opportunities to brand awareness focused, and thus perhaps reducing the sheer volume of competitors in markets. But Google is significantly less concerned with smaller markets.

This push appears to be aimed at reducing search creativity, especially in verticals such as law, education, real estate, and wealth management. This will make the challenge for smaller advertisers looking to take a slice of major competitors’ market shares all the more challenging.

google instant search

Article by John Lynch from Search Engine Watch

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If you own a website, you’re already doing SEO. The e-commerce platform you choose, information architecture of your site, product marketing copy, meta data, and more all affect your organic listings in search engines from day one.

As you continue managing the site, you’re constantly changing your search engine visibility, so it’s important to know if things are on the right track. It takes a combination of several quantitative and qualitative measurements to get a good grasp on the state of your SEO.

Article by John Greer, Search Engine Watch

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Earlier this month, Google rolled out its redesigned search engine results page (SERP) with a new menu of search-refinement options on the left-hand rail. The recent modifications to Google’s logo and search results pages serve as big changes for a company whose design hasn’t changed much in years. Simply put: It’s a big deal. Google continues, however, to keep it clean and straightforward. The streamlined feel and functionality of Google’s SERP redesign presents great opportunities for marketers. While each of the categorical changes deserve the consideration of search marketers in general, video search in particular may benefit from these opportunities and provide marketers a chance to separate their brands from the pack.

Article by Eric Papczun from searchengineland.com

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Okay, back to some basics today. These days, landing pages are being used very frequently, even though they have evolved from the cheesy designs and glaring oddities. These days landing pages come with sexy designs and the best compelling copies, that can convince you in seconds. We’ve seen many good examples of modern, sleek looking landing pages, which are eye candies but when it comes to search engine optimization, I’ve seen that not all of them are fool-proof. Which is what we would discuss here today.

Article by Mani Karthik from Daily SEO Blog

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