Google Blended Search Consequences
Universal Search, which Google now calls blended search, includes news, videos, local, blogs, and images within the top results for any given search.
On the negative side for sites with traditional SEO, blended search pushes them down and possibly even off the only page that matters, the first results page.
On the positive side, however, blended search creates SEO opportunities. In other words if you have the capability to produce optimized, high-quality videos, press releases, or blog posts, consider them additional opportunities to make the first page of search results for any given search. This, of course, assumes that you also optimize your mixed media.
Blended Search Increases Visibility
According to a 2008 Jupiter study found on Search Engine Watch, “search engine users click specialized content within general search results more than they do within vertical search results.”
- 36% click “news” results within blended search results
- Only 17% click a “news” result after conducting a news-specific search
- 31% click “image” results within blended search results
- Only 26% click an “image” result after conducting an image-specific search
- 17% click “video” results within blended search results
- Only 10% click a “video” result after conducting a video-specific search
The study also revealed where searchers click:
- 68% of search engine users click results on the first page
- 8% review more than the first three pages prior to clicking on a result
On a related subject, it boggles the mind that when you search the key phrase, “blended search,” on Yahoo, the only result that comes up above the April 2008 Jupiter study is a post from September, 2007, entitled “Marketers Prepare For Blended Search.”
