Will Google Instant Cut Off the Long Tail?
SEO chatter is still buzzing about Google Instant, which begins displaying search results as you type them into the Google search box.
Many consider this to be Google's attempt to cut off long tail search phrases. For those of you that don't know, the long tail is a term used to describe targeting for specific search phrases as opposed to searching for a single word or two.
Smaller websites use search engine optimization techniques to target long tail phrases because their site is unlikely to rank very high when searching for a specific word.
For example, let's say I run a small online dress store that specializes in selling Korean style dresses. If I tried to SEO around the phrase "dress store" it would be a very difficult battle to get on the first page of Google's results.
Alternatively, I can target the long tail searches that are looking for dresses that are popular in Korea. I would then change my SEO search term targeting to "dress store korean fashion" and "dress store korean styles." Using a more targeted phrase not only gets me customers that are more likely to be interested in what I am selling but it also is easier to have high google search result rankings.
Some people are concerned about how Google Instant will cause searchers to not complete their long tail phrase search because they saw something that caught their eye before they finished typing. While this may be true for some situations, I think the long tail is here to stay.
The reason is that users today realize that long tail searches are going to provide the best information. When I use instant to look for a specific topic, I do indeed watch the results update while I type but I always want to plow through the entire phrase that popped into my head.
Perhaps I'm just stubborn, but I hear other people saying the same thing. I also think that unlike Google co-founder Sergey Brin, a search engine is not the third half of my brain. Nor will it ever be able to change my long tail search habits.
So please feel free to build your small site, create backlinks and advertise away. Also go right ahead and continue to target long tail search phrases. Google can never cut the tail off with their search engine.
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