Recently Google has been making changes, but this time the changes seem to be largely changes to the visitor interface (commonly know as the Jazz interface).
Google instant is the big change of recent days, allowing searchers to see more search results (and giving Google the chance to show more ads), now Google has added a little blue arrow that sits next to the first listing, it can then be moved up and down using the arrow buttons of the keyboard, you can then go onto use the enter button to select the search result.
Google states that this is to help speed up searches so their is no need for the searcher to touch the mouse.
How will the blue arrow change search?
This arrow points at the first PPC listing so in all probability there will be an increase in the click through rate of keywords that control position 1. This is another cynical attempt by Google to move the listing away from organic clicks to paid for clicks. You can’t blame them for wanting to capitalise more on their dominance of the search market – you’ve just got to question how much more the ordinary searchers are going to put up with.
What does it mean for Search Marketing
Interestingly, this change and all the other recent changes mean that search marketing is getting more and more joined up, no longer can you focus your campaign on just SEO you’ve got to include an element of PPC to be sure you’re getting maximum coverage.
I’d be interested to know how many people actually use this function and how many just see it and assume it’s an arrow pointing to the first listing (which more often than not is a paid listing).