New Google Feature, How will it affect SEO?

I've just noticed that Google have added the preview feature that allow you to see the content of the page without clicking on the link but click in the area where the results are. How do you think this will affect SEO?

I don't think it will effect SEO (where you fall within the SERPS) however it WILL have an impact on Click throughs. ie. if your design is crap then you will get a lower click through rate.

-aReJay

hmm not seeing that here.

Yet another G update....do they ever stop? Also noticed the firefox google preview plugin which was similar is not active anymore. It will be interesting.

I guess if your site is crappy looking or doesn't look like what your keyword is peddling then searchers will not waste their time clicking on your site. All those cookie cutter review/affiliate sites with same or similar themes.....bye bye. They see one they see it all. Best your site is unique and attractive enough to get them to come in.

review sites won't suffer, those with bad design will suffer also google preview is a piece of crap

TurkeySub said:

hmm not seeing that here.

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Switch to google.com to see it

cbnoob said:

Switch to google.com to see it

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huh..?

TurkeySub said:

hmm not seeing that here.

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Neither am I. And I use google.com

You should use firefox maybe. I don't see it on chrome but it's available on ie8 and firefox

cbnoob said:

You should use firefox maybe. I don't see it on chrome but it's available on ie8 and firefox

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i can confirm that this feature is available in chrome

I bet content sites which derive their revenue from on-page advertising will be affected most by this--with the ones who push all of their ads up above the fold seeing a hit to their traffic.

Browsers who use the preview feature and see more ads than content in the preview aren't going to click thru.

And I think that will ultimately affect the SERPs of these sites as well. Google isn't going to keep displaying a site in the top 10 if it notices everybody who previews that site avoids visiting it. It's crazy to assume they won't be collecting and monitoring that data, then applying it to rankings.

My guess is if you run adsense content sites and have followed the past logics of pushing ads all above the fold, and using an ugly site design (because it can improve CTR's on your ads), then you might be in trouble if this feature begins getting utilized by the masses.

aReJay said:

I don't think it will effect SEO (where you fall within the SERPS) however it WILL have an impact on Click throughs. ie. if your design is crap then you will get a lower click through rate.

-aReJay

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Agreed. I've been following this in the beta version for a couple of months now and it is going to definently impact the clickthrough rate. It is just another whistle they have added to this overstocked toy to compete with the ' preview display ' bing has in their interface.

It is so small though, that if someone is doing research on your keyword topic, they will click through. Just another reason to start taking things seriously and stop running spam sites full of ads and crap and start pushing real content...which is google's whole intent of these new innovations outside of the obvious need to keep up with their competition. It kills two birds with a cannon in this specific situation.

scb335 said:

I bet content sites which derive their revenue from on-page advertising will be affected most by this--with the ones who push all of their ads up above the fold seeing a hit to their traffic.

Browsers who use the preview feature and see more ads than content in the preview aren't going to click thru.

And I think that will ultimately affect the SERPs of these sites as well. Google isn't going to keep displaying a site in the top 10 if it notices everybody who previews that site avoids visiting it. It's crazy to assume they won't be collecting and monitoring that data, then applying it to rankings.

My guess is if you run adsense content sites and have followed the past logics of pushing ads all above the fold, and using an ugly site design (because it can improve CTR's on your ads), then you might be in trouble if this feature begins getting utilized by the masses.

Click to expand...

IT was bound to happen sooner or later, as google and bing both still run these types of ad sidebar systems. People have been trained for years to click through them because they think the search engine gods demand it of them when they comes to a site.

I personally don't use adsense but do respect the money that can be made from it. It would be a drastic change for the better to see them disapear though, as the site the visitor is landing on should be the target of their resolution to their problem, as people search for two specific reasons...they want to learn something or they want to get/buy something.

Eitherway, an ad stuffed site is going to fail to give it to them 99% of the time. So, I say it is a blessing for websites pushing legitimately to get the user to buy directly from them.

Just my take on it, to each their own, of course.

Basically, webmasters will suddenly begin to care about what google 'sees' when it opens their page.

Sites made entirely in flash or other stuff which requires a plug-in will suffer a massive drop in traffic, since Google can't see them and they will look insanely ugly.

Webmasters, in response will begin to optimize their sites for 'visitors' who don't have flash and scripts enabled to get a nice-looking thumbnail.

Also, people won't just chaotically click so many links to open them at once and some sites which don't LOOK relevant and appealing will no longer get the traffic they used to.

Basically, bling will begin to matter a whole lot more.

aftershock2020 said:

IT was bound to happen sooner or later, as google and bing both still run these types of ad sidebar systems. People have been trained for years to click through them because they think the search engine gods demand it of them when they comes to a site.

I personally don't use adsense but do respect the money that can be made from it. It would be a drastic change for the better to see them disapear though, as the site the visitor is landing on should be the target of their resolution to their problem, as people search for two specific reasons...they want to learn something or they want to get/buy something.

Eitherway, an ad stuffed site is going to fail to give it to them 99% of the time. So, I say it is a blessing for websites pushing legitimately to get the user to buy directly from them.

Just my take on it, to each their own, of course.

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You do realize webmasters can and will cloak their pages so when the spider comes to take a shot, they will look pretty and relevant and Google won't be able to really ban this one unless they develop plugins for their bots so they can see all that flash and similar content.

It looks like a piece of crap.

And I am gonna dislike it if I start seeing a decrease in earnings.

Dellius said:

You do realize webmasters can and will cloak their pages so when the spider comes to take a shot, they will look pretty and relevant and Google won't be able to really ban this one unless they develop plugins for their bots so they can see all that flash and similar content.

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Is that against adsense TOS?

that will lower the amount of crappy designed websites
the internet is getting better day by day...

I cant see this feature either?? I have tried FireFox and Chrome...signed in Google and not signed in? Maybe its only available in certain areas at the moment?

It's pubcon this week google always releases new goodies right around this time to show off at pubcon

aftershock2020 said:

...I personally don't use adsense but do respect the money that can be made from it. It would be a drastic change for the better to see them disapear though, as the site the visitor is landing on should be the target of their resolution to their problem, as people search for two specific reasons...they want to learn something or they want to get/buy something...

Click to expand...

That's sort of painting with a broad brush. The fact is advertising revenue (including but not limited to AdSense) powers a majority of the most used and most informative sites on the web, heck, Google for starters.

My comments weren't specific to MFA sites, though they'll suffer greatly I believe, but so will authority sites which struggle with thin profit margins, poor design and follow those tactics like pushing ads above the fold. I'm thinking news sites, online magazines, reference sites...the list goes on and on.

You're right that most searchers are either looking for information or a purchasing option, but typically the sites providing the best information are driven by ad revenues and aren't cheap to maintain (I'm not talking about crappy article directories here), so if the masses begin using the preview feature it could cause big hits to some quality info/resource sites too, in addition to MFA's and other junk content sites.

What's funny is the flip side of this could be a boom for designers when tons of webmasters suddenly see a need for unique designs that translate into attractive thumbnails.

It could also open a door for more crap content sites to reach the top of SERPs if authority sites start taking hits because of low CTR's due to poor design and ad abundance in their previews. I'm not suggesting this will happen, but I can see how it could happen where an autoblog with a killer design (and thumbnail) would end up out-ranking the authority sites (with ugly designs and thumbnails) that it's stealing it's content from depending on how much weight Google gives to CTR behaviors in the rankings over time.