Google Instant shows results as you type and the company claims that by predicting a search in this way, it can save two to five seconds per search. Previously, users had to type the full search term and hit return before any results appear.

Andrew Linton, business development manager at 4MAT, which specialises in SEO, website design and digital marketing for recruiters, told Recruiter that it will affect searches as it changes the way users engage with search engines. “The top three or four results are going to become even more important because that’s what Google is presenting to the user straight away,” he said. “From the users’ perspective it makes the search process more effective. While I type my search query I can instantly make decisions based on the presented results.”

Questions also surround how Google Instant will affect long-tail searching, which is important for many recruiters. “If I’m typing a long-tail query such as ’Accountant job in London paying 60k, permanent’, by the time I’ve typed ’Accountant’ I will already be presented with a page of results,” he explained. “This may result in me clicking on results earlier than I have done previously, effectively before I have finished my long-tail search.”

Some believe that this will make long-tail less relevant but this is something that is still being tested, said Linton, who adds that because Google Instant allows users to see live filtering of results, they can constantly lengthen their search string to be more specific.

“You can also filter down until presented with exactly what you want and this could actually increase the relevancy of long-tail in some cases,” he said.
www.4MAT.com