The goal of any search engine – whether a commercial entity of its own or an internal site search engine – is to maximize the relevance of results for the user. Determine what information is going to be most useful to each user, and present it in a way that it can be easily assessed and accessed. Clearly, if a search engine fails to provide meaningful results, it will cease to used, and therefore, exist.

For marketers, search optimization continues to increase in budgetary and resource priority, with the goal of being that most relevant result. We continue to research, conference, test, measure and learn to understand the evolving algorithms and how to position our content (or our clients’ content) for maximum visibility.

There is a natural symbiosis between search engine and marketer, as computer-based algorithms aren’t always a flawless judge of relevance. But there is also a natural dissonance, as the goal of achieving the highest ranking can conflict with the goal to provide the most unbiased, meaningful content for the user. As a result, and as we’ve seen many times over, search algorithms are regularly adjusted and amended (R.I.P. keyword metatags!).

The good news is, this cat-and-mouse game ultimately serves to benefit everyone as users. And with recent developments in this industry, savvy marketers will not only be able to optimize their exposure, but will find even greater opportunities to encourage and maximize brand immersion by contributing to a richer search experience.

Let’s take a look at a few emerging examples of the ever-evolving search landscape...

 

Universal Search

Simply stated, universal search combines all the categorical, or vertical, search listings together into a single set of results. Now, results can include videos, blogs, images, podcasts, news and press releases – without having to first select one of those particular silos. With universal search, online seeking becomes a more satisfying, complete-picture, one-stop experience for users … and consequently a much more complex, yet promising, landscape for advertisers.

See it in action:
Ask.com has been touting its new algorithm in mass media for some time now. However, because their slice of the search audience pie is relatively small, the real news came this May when Google’s new “Universal Search" system was introduced, blending listings from its news, video, images, local and book search engines, etc. Try a search for Darth Vader or Steve Jobs on Google, Britney Spears or September 11 on Ask.com to see the difference (and potential) for yourself.

Implication for marketers:
More competition within results … and competition from many new forms of media! Short text-only PPC ads will now be competing for attention with image-rich search results. As a result, we could very well see PPC ad formats change to permit images, videos and other forms of rich content. Organic results will also face this challenge. Take the time to size up your new natural competition – optimization is no longer just about copy! Marketers need to optimize their site pages in new ways … with optimally described and tagged images and more rich content (add video, podcasts or a blog to your site!) to compete within universal SERPs. And Marketers who truly embrace multi-channel integration will have a leg up – as optimized and digitally wired press releases, videos on YouTube, blog posts and comments, and the book written by your celebrity endorser will all have a place in search results related to your brand.

 

Visual Search

Visual search also represents a departure from “text-in, text-out” search, but rather than presenting multiple types of content results, the user is able to view the actual site page they would land on BEFORE they click. This form of search not only minimizes trial-and-error and heavy back browser button use, but offers a much quicker gauge of relevance than reading many (sometimes confusing and misrepresentative) text descriptions of underlying page content.

See it in action:
Conduct a search – for anything (I went for MTV) – on Snap.com. Roll over the resulting links to see a “Snap Shot” of the page behind the link. Snap.com also provides their “Snap Shots” to many of the top news, information and social sites on the web, including CNN.com, Wikipedia and Facebook.

Implications for marketers:
Certainly, homepage creative becomes even more critically important. Visual search introduces a charge to really stand out creatively from your competition, as aesthetic appeal takes on a new role in the click-through decision process. Visual search also offers the opportunity to visually introduce your brand outside of your site environment … and potentially to those who may not have ever clicked through based on a text-only description. Additionally, imagine how PPC ads enhanced with a screen shot of your site page can lead to greater budget efficiency through what are theoretically more informed clicks. And outside of the SEO benefits, if you are offering external resource links within your own site, why not enhance your user’s experience with a visual display of the recommended sites?

 

Social Search

Per Wikipedia, “a social search engine is a type of search engine that determines the relevance of search results by considering the interactions or contributions of users.” The term “social search” has been used to describe everything from social bookmarking sites to tag-based internal search systems to sites that search social networking profiles. The golden thread that unites all of these is that consumer content contributions affect the results for others – a manifestation of word-of-mouth online.

See it in action:
Social bookmarking sites like Digg.com, Del.icio.us, Reddit and Newsvine aggregate users favorite web content into one place, where it can be read, tagged and ranked, in effect providing a single stop to find what other Internet users find most relevant or interesting on the Web. Search for a video on YouTube for a classic example of a tag-based search system (terms to try: popcorn rapper, parenting tips, tea party), where users flag content with keywords they deem relevant to each piece of content to influence future search results.

Implications for marketers:
Never underestimate the importance of effective, relevant content. When consumers drive, content really is king (for more on this topic, please visit our blog http://www.ideadrivenmarketing.com ). To establish rank within a social search environment, marketers first have to create content that is not only relevant to a selection of keywords, but worthy of consumer distribution … and then provide them with the tools that make it easy to share. Customized internal social site search presents great possibility for marketers to provide a more informative and effective site experience as well. Quick examples might include prominently presenting links as a shortcut to results for top search terms or listing the most clicked results at the top of the results page. How can the activities of your site visitors collectively contribute to the experience for each visitor individually?

Over time, consumers will continue to demand the most useful content, marketers will continue to position their brands and the search landscape will continue to adjust and evolve. Whether the perfect algorithm will ever result from this dance remains to be seen. But it is certain that the potential benefits, opportunities and possibilities of continuous improvement within online search are limitless.