Google Instant. It’s new and it’s fast. Google announced it with the headline Search: now faster than the speed of type.
Here’s how it works. You start typing something in the Google search box. The instant you start typing, Google shows you suggestions for what it thinks you are looking for. The more you type, the closer the suggestions come to what you want. As soon as you see the one you want, you arrow down to it and don’t have to type any more.
To get to BlogHer, you have to type “blogh” before you see BlogHer.
Actually, you don’t even have to arrow down to the choice you want. While you’re typing, search results show up below the search box. The search results change with each letter typed. When I reached the point of typing “blogh”, these were the search results I saw.
Here’s a Google video showing it in action. Feel free to sing along.
Twitter was immediate flooded with tweets about what a great thing it was and how fast it was. For most people, it was love at first sight.
I am in love with you, Google Instant! You started making life easier before I knew what the hell you were!
Kat Armstrong
KatArmstrong
There were the inevitable jokers, too. You can rely on Twitter for that.
Google Instant-er…I think the only step left is for Google to call you and simply tell you what you want.
Scott Stein
jetscott
There were even a few notes of caution.
Anyone else find Google Instant a bit scary? Especially when you make spelling mistakes without safe search on….
Tamara Cross
marsipan79
Almost the moment it was released, the opinions started flying about what the implications of Google Instant might be. One blogger said, Google Instant Makes SEO Irrelevant.
Now, with this, everyone is going to start tweaking their searches in real-time. The reason this is a game changer is feedback. When you get feedback, you change your behaviors.
Headstrong Capitalism disagreed in Google Instant Thoughts $GOOG with,
It changes the game, SEO will now focus on individual letter combinations and not full words.
Lifehacker, bless ’em, posted an article about How to Turn Off Google Instant Search.
According to Google’s About Google Instant page, it may take a few days before everyone sees it on their Google search page.
Here’s a challenge for you, suggested by the Bob Dylan video from Google. If you knew “you’re the poetry man” was a lyric by Phoebe Snow, how many seconds (or milleseconds) would it take Google Instant to find you the complete lyrics? And what would you have to type to find it? Did you have to spell it right – I made a typo trying it – didn’t seem to matter.
Have you tried Google Instant? What did you think?
[Cross-posted at BlogHer.]