Latest trends in search engine marketing.

GOOGLE INSTANT

Google launched a completely new search experience called Google Instant this month. Google Instant not only provides suggested search phrases but dynamically updates the results as you search. According to Google, the new Instant service saves 2-5 seconds for each search.

During tests, it was noticed that the recommendations used ones geographic location and previous web history. As a result, you are more likely to see local search phrases than more popular national phrases. For example, when searching for "dentist in" one sees phrases for your immediate area instead of los angeles or new york as one would expect at a national level

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Adwords users will need to test advertising on shorter keyword and longer keyword phrases since Google Instant automatically updates the ads that one sees as you complete your search phrase. There may be cases where you want to advertise on general keywords in order to jump ahead of the competition. For example, if you were a hotel in Orlando, you might consider advertising on the general term Orlando instead of Orlando Hotels in order to get your ad in front of other ads.

Finally, like the autocompletion feature, Google Instant is a great way to discover what the popular searches are for your primary terms. Using the Dentist example, when you search for Dentist the suggested searches are Dentist Salary, Dentist Reviews, Dentist Ratings.

FACEBOOK PLACES

Just when you thought you had a handle on the latest wave of geo social networking services like FourSquare and Gowalla, Facebook has jumped into the business of letting people ?check-in? to their favorite locations. Actually, our guess is that you have not heard of FourSquare or Gowalla. These services and the new Facebook Places let people register when they arrive at restaurants, bars, conferences, airports and other locations. This lets people tell their friends where they are for impromptu meetings. More importantly, a business can reward customers who frequent their business and build community with information about upcoming events and promotions.

Facebook Places works on the mobile Facebook application and allows you to ?check-in? when you arrive at a business. You can see if you have other friends nearby. Facebook?s new service is important because they already have over 500 million people with registered profiles so they can enter this business as the leader without much effort.

While the usage of this service is relatively small compared to other Facebook services, you should expect it to grow and provide another way of building a community on Facebook.

YAHOO AND MICROSOFT SEARCH ALLIANCE UPDATE

The Yahoo and Microsoft Search Alliance continues to move towards completion. If you search on yahoo.com, you will see a powered by Bing badge in the footer area. Microsoft hopes to complete the transition of all US based paid search accounts in time for holiday season in 2010.