Google does it again with Instant Preview

In the world of interactive marketing, you have to be quick to respond to new industry trends and updates. Google has definitely kept interactive marketers on their toes recently with updates like Google Instant, local integration, and now Google Instant Preview. These updates can have an impact on search behavior.

On November 9th, Google launched Instant Preview. After a search query is performed, users can activate Instant Preview by clicking the blue magnifying glass located next to a search result. This will display an image-based snapshot of the website, allowing a user to preview the website without having to navigate to the actual webpage. Sections of the webpage containing the search term are also highlighted to help a user determine if the website is relevant to his or her search.

Instant Preview increases the speed that it takes for a user to find a website meeting their needs since users can quickly compare results and preview content to determine relevancy. According to Google, “we’ve found that people who use Instant Previews are about 5% more likely to be satisfied with the results they click.”

What are the implications of Google Instant Preview for website owners? Having a strong call to action within your title tags and meta tags isn’t enough anymore - the design and structure of your website can now affect click through rate as well. Even if your website ranks well for targeted keywords, it is important to make sure your website appears visually relevant to your target market.

Monitor your web analytics in the coming weeks. If Google Instant Preview has negatively affected your organic search traffic or increased your site’s bounce rate, it may be a good time to re-evaluate the design and structure of your website. If your website is built in Flash, your website most likely displays as a puzzle piece in the instant preview. While Google claims that it is “working on rendering these rich content types accurately,” you may find it an opportune time to opt for a re-design since Flash websites are not SEO friendly.

Even though Google accounts for a large majority of the search engine market share, the company continues to keep ahead of rivals by making updates that increase speed of a search and user satisfaction. The interactive marketing world doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.