Jeff Woelker : Chicago SEO, SEM, and Online Marketing Consultant

Recently, Google announced that they were incorporating search within a site into their search results. At first glance, this may sound like a beneficial tool, but let’s examine it a bit more closely.

Bad for Users: Search Aesthetic
Most often, people search for two to three keywords in a search query. The results they are presented are then reviewed and if results are not found, the user will either abandon their search or try a new set of keywords, sometimes more in depth or different terminology all together using the berry picking method. In this new situation, a user may try two or more keywords, and then they are presented with an additional search box. Now immediately, the usability guy in me is questioning, “Doesn’t this add clutter to an increasingly busy interface?” The beauty of Google is the one box search method. Don’t like what you get, try searching again.

Bad for On-Site Marketers: Stealing Traffic
The search within a site feature also causes the user to spend more time with Google. Normally, I would be more than happy to spend more time with Google, but from an on-site marketers perspective, this is not always a good thing. For one, Google is displaying Adwords advertising the entire time. So the user gets one round of advertising based on their initial search and then another round, which is even more specific, on the second, third, and so on results. Again, for PPC marketers, this is fantastic. However, if you are buying or selling on-site advertising (text links ads, banner advertising, video placements, etc.) this is not good news. Impressions drop, clicks drop, revenue drops, and as a result, these methods become less “effective” in driving previously available results.

If I were selling this type of advertising, not that PPC hasn’t already cut into your profit margins, I’d keep an eye on this latest development. Anything i missed? Disagree? Let me know in the comments.