It’s a change that feels so subtle, many people don’t even notice it’s happening – Google’s search results now update with instant results as you type in your search terms. Once you do notice, you’ll probably find yourself asking one very important question – “What does this mean for SEO?”
The good news is that the change doesn’t affect Google’s algorithm in any way – if you were ranking #1 for Type B Widgets before, your ranking isn’t in jeopardy. The question is how this will affect users’ search habits. If they type in “Type B” and Google offers instant results on “Type B Gizmos”, will your potential customers get sidetracked? Or will they continue on with their query as normal?
Only time will tell, but early speculation is that customers will review the suggestions, yet continue on with their specific search to pull up the exact results they want. If your site is optimized using strong SEO fundamentals, your customers are probably finding you the exact same way they did before Instant Search.