Unified search is one term being used to describe the changes taking place in the way natural search results are presented to searchers on general-purpose search engines. In the past, text listings pointing to HTML and other text documents made up virtually the entire search results page; other kinds of content have generally been one or two clicks away. Unified search changes this dynamic by integrating images, videos, news and blog posts into the primary results page.
Google’s Universal Search and Ask’s Ask 3D lead the pack of mainstream consumer search engines adopting this approach, but Yahoo’s Alpha, Google’s SearchMash and Kosmix are driving further innovation. Search for ‘Steve Jobs’ or ‘shoes’ on Google, for example; a different kind of listing appears among the familiar Web page links. News listings include a lead story and other relevant headlines. A YouTube listing contains a thumbnail; clicking it plays the video in place right on the search results page. On Ask, the same searches yield the familiar text listings in the middle of the page, but content slots in the right margin gradually fill in with images, blog posts, video thumbnails, etc.
Unified search presents an opportunity in the way that local search did two or three years ago. Then, although some understood the eventual payout of local search, marketers could get away with ignoring the concept. It hadn’t yet reached critical mass, nor was it delivering the “can’t miss” results it churns out for multichannel marketers today.
The same holds true today with unified search. Some will ignore the emerging opportunity; others will embrace it early, understanding that it could unfold into the future of search. Whether ignoring or embracing the new opportunities, responsible marketers will try to understand some of the intricacies before making any hasty decisions … or no decision at all. So what are the most crucial considerations for marketers to understand?
Paid search is business as usual, at least for now.
Unified search does not change the display of paid search listings on any of the engines using it at this point. This could definitely change moving forward.
Although consumer response over time is the only definitive measure, all signs currently point to unified search creating a more satisfying searcher experience as it continues to evolve. This will likely contribute to continued growth in search usage among consumers, an ongoing increase in number of searches per user and the ongoing influx of paid search impressions for advertisers.
CMOs that have taken steps toward a more holistic view of search can pat themselves on the back once more, because smaller search advertisers that have leaned on AdWords alone could experience some universal search related fallout. It may have the side effect, for example, of decreasing paid search click volume in cases where a significant proportion of traffic comes from the new vertical categories, particularly on Google. Because the universal search listings include images and even video stand out prominently among the rest of the text listings, they become click magnets and can divert traffic from other natural and paid listings.
It’s this very factor that puts brand marketers grappling with negative word of mouth in a precarious position. Negative word of mouth that appears in blogs, news or videos could gain more prominence and lure consumers and their attention away from branded listings.
For marketers with rich image and video content, unified search may help them better engage the searcher on the search results page itself. Plus, it can mean increased visibility or page domination of the search results page for certain searches. The impact will not be immediate, as it is currently quite difficult to gain universal search exposure on Google with video and image assets for the high volume keywords important to most search campaigns. Expect this trend to continue gaining steam as more and more relevant content is pulled onto the first page of the search results.
For now, marketers should carefully weigh how much effort to pour into this emerging discipline. Minimally, marketers should evaluate and monitor their brand keywords on unified search engines. Also, ensure that natural search optimization teams continue to optimize press releases, images and video assets for natural search in general, and for a future fully unified search results page as well. Marketers that understand this trend now position themselves for success in the future.
Cam Balzer is vice president of emerging media at DoubleClick Performics (www.performics.com) and a monthly contributor to Chief Marketer. Contact him at [email protected].
Network
