Google’s Insatiable Appetite for Faster Search Experience
Instant Search, Blended Search, Now What?
First we had Google Instant. Next, we were exposed to blended search. And now, before we’ve had the chance to truly evaluate the lasting effect of these two major changes to the overall search experience, Google is changing the game again. According to the Official Google Blog, the option to instantly preview search results is being released today.
Instant Preview Helps Users Find Desired Results Faster
Google’s Instant Preview option allows users to do just that: instantly preview screenshots of webpages within a user’s search results. Similar to flipping through a magazine, Google says finding the right results will be easier and quicker with Instant Preview. According to their test runs, users are about 5% more likely to be satisfied with the search results.
There are three specific points Google highlights that can help their users get the most out of Instant Previews. Below we will discuss each of these in relation to your practice website.
Quickly compare results
Users will be able to quickly flip through previews and compare an image of each site. Whether they are looking for a site they’ve been to before, or are conducting a new search, refining your brand by improving the aesthetic appearance of your practice’s website has never been more important.
Pinpoint Relevant Content
Instant Preview does not simply provide a generic screenshot of the home page for users to compare. Based on the search terms, Instant Preview will focus on specific keywords to show the user the most relevant content on the page according to their particular search.
What does this mean for your website? Optimizing your content, with specific consideration for the terms your current and potential patients use, becomes even more important. While Instant Previews means users can find results faster, it also means they can skip over your page even quicker as well when they don’t see terms relevant to their search.
Interact with Results Page
The previews will allow users to interact with your practice website before clicking on it, which means page layout demands additional attention now. As search becomes increasingly visual, optimizing the appearance of your website according to relevant key terms will likely begin to affect patient interaction with your website.
In addition to providing relevant content to create an educational and informative experience for your potential website visitors, you’ll now need to consider how successful the appearance of your website is at attracting users through images generated by Instant Preview.
Keeping up with the Joneses?
As Google continues to define and refine the search experience, assessing the performance of your website becomes an increasingly dynamic engagement. In the end, the best way to keep up with the Joneses of your particular specialty is not by reacting to the ever-changing virtual landscape. Instead, preparing for the constant evolution of search with innovative website design and fully-optimized content blended with your own unique perspective remains best practices.