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BIG CHANGE COMING FROM THE BOSS: Google's Universal Search Is Right Around the Corner and You Can Be Ahead of Your Competition

Google wants to return the most relevant information when someone types a search request into its box. Now, ‘relevant’ has gotten bigger, even ‘universal.’

Google “Universal Search,” which we are expecting to see in November, lists maps, news, images and books related to a search query. Right now, you can get these returns by clicking on different tabs on the Google search bar. In just a few months, they will be combined into one. Video will be next!

Google’s VP of search products and user experience, Marissa Mayer, spoke recently at a major search engine strategy conference. According to Mayer, the infrastructure of the search page will be changing to produce a more functional results page.

In other words, Boss Google wants to help your prospects find you, even if they don’t know where to look. With universal search, it’s not an option anymore to not have optimized images, videos, news, local maps or blogs in your search engine marketing strategy; it’s a necessity. (Note that at this conference, Mayer said that paid search (Adwords) will not be incorporated into the natural search results. They will still be there but your potential clients will know which ads are paid ads.)

Don’t be sad, it’s good news! Google’s launch of Universal Search has opened up the possibility for even more tactics to be applied and requires a new focus on your SEO strategy. Good news again, you have way more control over how you are found than ever before!

It sounds easy, search engine rankings respond to three things: links, content, and relevancy. However, it gets complicated because of the unlimited ways to create relevant content and earn relevant links. One of the secrets to website optimization is finding the most relevant content and earning relevant links. Another secret to website optimization is finding the most effective updating application (CMS – Content Management System) AND developing a process to update your website in a consistent, methodical, and scalable way. Today there’s no excuse for a web developer to not have a took for you that allows you to update your own site, instantly. This is not just blogging but you must have the ability to update all of the content on your site.

For us at Foster Web Marketing, the search strategy remains the same: develop relevant, contextual content and get links to and from. The only difference is the list of “types of content” we can play with and the tactics we use.

What is Universal Search?

Here’s a summary of what we expect that Universal Search will ultimately include.

1. Google Blog Search: You better have a blog already. This important Web 2.0 tool has revolutionized the way law firms interact with prospects, clients, peers and the media. More important, you need a blog with an associated RSS feed for discussing your cases, other cases, your opinions on, medmal, tort reform, or anything else you want to be found for. Don’t’ forget to tag (dig, del.icio.us, reddit, stumbleupon, etc.), and then submit to broaden your reach for all target queries on Google. Remember that its not just consumers that are looking at your blogs. Many of my clients report getting calls from reporters. Blogs are much more powerful than old-fashioned press releases.

2. Google Maps: Local search is hot, and your firm can benefit from a local presence. Mobile search is huge, and I don’t need to point out the growing importance of the PDAs. Go to the Google Maps Local Business Center for a free basic and/or paid listing. (Type “Fairfax, Virginia Personal Injury Attorney” to see what we did for Ben Glass. You may have to click “see more results” as these ads appear to rotate randomly. Always be thinking ‘outside the box.’

3. Google Video: This is really exciting to me in particular. With Video you can do anything, and Google has made the search parameters very easy to follow. The cost of creating video content can vary, depending on your budget. You can launch the video on your web site–remember to optimize the content using traditional SEO tactics. Create page titles, description tags and text (transcription, captions, commentary, etc.) that are keyword friendly. Submit to Google Video, YouTube and other video search engines.

4. Google Image Search: Clients can find you via images with ease. Unlike most other Universal Search results, images (and blog search results) are not being integrated into the top ten results, but are being served to the top (or bottom) of search result pages. This positioning gets plenty of views, so you’ll want to optimize your images with descriptive ALT tags that make use of your keywords.

5. Google News: Using press releases added to your site library to enhance SEO listings is now a standard practice. Keep your releases newsworthy and the information will be displayed and indexed as news. News is informative when you announce case results and changes in the law that would be important for your client base to know.

OK, So Show Me

Although the beta testing of Universal Search began in May 2007, the full extent of its power will not be seen until November and beyond. As Google’s new algorithm integrates additional types of content into its Web search results, users will get a more comprehensive search experience providing a wide array of information on the topic of their query.

SEO For Universal Search

Just like many 15th century Europeans believed that the earth was flat, many of today’s law firms are stuck in a two-dimensional mindset. Of course, the earth is round and with Universal Search, search marketers can no longer rely on text-based SEO and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising alone. It’s time to start thinking feeds, widgets, and social media.

Feeds include:

Google Local Business (Google Maps) when applicable
RSS and press release syndication (Google News)
YouTube video syndication (YouTube)
Google Base (XML product feed) when applicable
Google Books (XML book feed) when applicable

Widgets include:

Viral desktop applications
Web-based widgets for social media sites and blogs

Social Media includes:

Blogging
Blog monitoring
Blogosphere public relations
Online branding
Content syndication
Link exchanges
Group sites, forums, and chat
Viral ad campaigns

Measurement and ROI

Universal Search results in two mandates: 1) the array of search marketing options is no longer optional, but obligatory and, 2) measurement is more important than ever before.

Search services (when appropriate) now include:

Paid Search (on more than Google)
Google and Yahoo! Local Business (chains)
Google Base (product SKUs)
Google Books (product SKUs)
Shopping optimization feeds
Shopping comparison engines
Paid directories (major and verticals)
Extensive and redundant keyword research
Natural search diagnostic site audit
Page editing and optimization
Serious recurring inbound link-building strategy and tactics
Social media optimization
Brand reputation management

ROI Measurement factors include:

Placement of organic search vs. paid listings
Keyword inventory and traffic analysis
Offline and online (paid and natural) competitor analysis
Organic search cost-benefit analysis

As Google’s new algorithm builds momentum we will begin to see more Universal Search influence on search result pages. This process will take some time, it won’t happen overnight and there will be bumps in the road. Expect and prepare for fluctuation.

Here’s the bottom line: We believe Universal Search is designed primarily for two reasons: More diverse and varying content for users and more opportunity for ad targeting.

Boss Google wants you to use its other engines such as Video and News, among others. What better way than to force-feed that data into primary organic search results? It’s no coincidence Google is beginning to serve video and image PPC (and CPM) ads on its content network (AOL, et. al.). And, as usual, Google wants to create more ad space. What better way for the Boss to promote himself.

So, it goes without saying that when Boss Google changes things up, we all must adjust or get buried in the desert. Dig deeper in your SEO toolbox – the standards have changed. Search results are changing and those attorneys that expand the reach of their website’s content will be those that prosper in this new era of search.