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How Google Suggest influences the traffic you
get from Google
Last week, Google added the Google Suggest feature that
had been available in beta for a long time to its main page.
This might sound like a small change but it can have a big
effect on the traffic that you get from Google.
What is Google Suggest?
Google Suggest adds suggestions to your search query while
you type it. For example, if you type "Chicago" in Google's
search box, then Google will suggest "Chicago Tribune", "Chicago
Cubs", "Chicago Airport" and a variety of other keywords.
Why does this change the traffic that you'll get
from Google?
The implementation of Google Suggest on the main search
page might have several effects on the keywords that web
surfers use:
- People might search less for one or two word keywords
MP3 is a very popular search term. However, it's unlikely
that a search for "mp3" will return the results that the
web surfer searched for. When you now search on Google,
Google will suggest "mp3 player", "mp3 downloads" and "mp3
converter" among many other suggestions. It's likely that
the web surfer will choose one of these suggestions because
they describe more accurately what they are looking for.
- Web surfers might become less creative when they search
Some people might think that the options offered in Google's
suggest box are the only possible keyword combinations
that can be entered. Other people might rely on Google's
suggested keywords out of convenience.
Technically less adept web surfers or lazy people might
stick with the default suggestions instead of really typing
what they are looking for.
- AdWords prices for some keywords might go up
Instead of many different keyword combinations, the same
(suggested) keyword combinations might be searched over
and over. This could result in increasing AdWords prices
for these keywords and in increased competition for these
keywords.
- Long-tail keywords might be negatively affected
Long-tail keywords are keywords that typically consists
of 4-6 words. These keywords are usually very targeted
and they often lead to conversions because people who enter
long-tail keywords know what they're looking for. As Google
mainly suggests keywords that consist of up to 3 keywords,
the amount of long tail keywords might decrease.
- Long-tail keywords might be positively affected
On the other side, Google Suggest might show some people
that it is possible to refine search queries. Web surfers
might use Google's suggested keywords and further refine
the queries with their own words. People who never thought
about their search terms now might start to do so.
This is your chance to get an advantage over your
competitors
The keywords through which websites get traffic from Google
are likely to change. You should optimize your web pages
for targeted search terms that consist of multiple words.
This is your chance to get an advantage over your competitors. Optimize
your web pages now for these targeted multiple word
keywords before your competitors do it.
Further information on how to find the best keywords can
be found in our free SEO
ebook. You can also use the keyword
tools in IBP to research keywords.
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