Googles Suggestion Beta Search New SEO & Webmaster Wonder Tool or Over Rated Popularity Meter. by James R. Sanders
With Googles release of their new Beta Google Suggest site,
many SEOs are jumping on the bandwagon to preach praises
about Google Labs latest breakthrough. However, in a recent
article published by Site Pro News by Mike Banks Valentine,
noted SEO of SEOptimism.com, entitled A is for Amazon, B is
for Best Buy Google Suggest Feature, Mr. Valentine would
have us believe that the results shown in Google Suggest
are for the number of SEARCHES conducted at Google for a
given search term. I would have to disagree with him given
the research Ive done behind the ground breaking new tool.
However, before I put the cart before the horse, maybe I
should explain this new tool just in case you havent
heard of it yet.
Google Suggestion BetaSalvation for SEOs &
Webmasters or a Marginal Tool to Gauge Search
Populatiry.
Google has finally rolled out a new tool touted as their
latest breakthrough in logical search suggestion. In a
nutshell, this tool follows your typing, letter by letter,
and as you continue to formulate you search query, Google
Suggest opens a drop down box of suggestions based on what
it thinks you might be searching for. As you type each
letter in your query window, Google Suggest continues to
update the list based on the information you type. The Beta
site is located at
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&complete=1. After reading
Mr. Valentines article, I was quick to drop by the Beta
Site to check this new tool out. I thought to myself, If
this actually reports the number of searches being done at
Google for a particular search term or phrase, then boy is
it going to be easy to evaluate the best search terms to use
when optimizing a page for Google. I felt like a kid on
Christmas morning running downstairs to see what Santa
brought me.
The Investigation BeginsMy Hopes Become Fears.
My first idea was to type web site design into the search
box query area. No sooner than I finished typing web si,
up pops the box listing web site design as the top
suggested pick, and the results showing 22,600.000
results. My first thought was Holy crap, theres THAT many
searches being done at Google on web site design? My next
question was Now I wonder if that is a month, to date since
Google has been in operation, or what? Soon after
additional thought, my mind began to clear and the horror
struck me. The next question was What if these are just the
number of matching results in the Google database for the
search term web site design? My hopes and dreams of a new
tool to demystify Google search popularity began to
disintegrate as my mind started to rationalize the situation
and ponder the question further.
Comparing Suggestion Beta Results with Google SERP
Results.
I decided to click the top suggestion web site design and
see what happened. As I looked at the SERP, the top line
stated Results 1 - 10 of about 32,700,000 for web site
design. (0.22 seconds). At first, my hopes began to soar
again as I pondered the wonderful SEO opportunities.
32,700,000 does not match the results of 22,600,000 reported
in the suggestion tool. There seemed to be hope, but then my
mind started to wonder again. The next question I asked was
What if the beta tool is using an older database than the
present database used to distribute Googles main site
results. The horror sat in again as I sat there pondering
my thoughts and possibilities. Logical reasoning sat in, and
my hopes and dreams were dashed as a ship tossed into a
rocky coast during a hurricane. 22,600,000 results a month
would be an extremely odd amount of searches for the term
web site design even given the number of webmasters and
SEOs that normally check that search term to see
competition rankings. In addition, given the closeness to
the regular SERP results for the same search term, it just
stands to reason that the results are from an older database
snap shot of the web the lab is using for testing the beta
release.
Further InvestigationMy Hopes Continue to
Diminish.
To investigate my thoughts as thoroughly as possible, I
spent some time reading the FAQ located at
http://labs.google.com/suggest/faq.html. Nowhere in this FAQ
does it say anything as to what the results indicate other
than that the ranking of suggested terms are based on the
popularity of searches done at Google. That does NOT come
right out and say that the number reported for results in
any way indicates the actual number of searches for the
particular search term, but yes, one could infer that
meaning, especially SEOs and webmasters so desperately
looking for another way to help properly optimize their
pages for Google. I can understand this thought process, and
would have fallen prey to it had I not thought about it in a
little more detail, but the facts speak for themselves, and
common sense rules out.
Comparing Googles Usage of the Term Results
Throughout Their Site.
The other proof I offer to substantiate my claims stems from
the context Google uses everywhere else the word results
appears on their site. They tend to use that word
EXCLUSIVELY with the results being returned for the number
of matches for a particular search term from their database.
Add to the facts that Google has never been one to openly
give webmasters or SEOs ANYTHING that can be used to
manipulate their SERPs and it just goes to further prove
that the experts are wrong in the assumption that the
results are an indication of the search terms search
popularity at Google. The way the terms are ranked to
provide the best possible suggestion IS based on search
popularity at Google, but the number has nothing to do with
the actual number of searches conducted. That synched it. I
have no choice but to believe that the article written by
Mr. Valentine is misleading, and that many other SEOs are
jumping the gun to tout the new salvation tool to help us
demystify Google search term popularity, or help us improve
our page optimization. This tool isnt going to give SEOs
and webmasters anything but a preview of the number of SERP
results they will have to wade through to find their
information.
Taking the Final PlungeGetting the Information
Straight from the Horses Mouth.
Nevertheless, being Id rather hold on to some shred of hope
that I am wrong, I have taken the liberty to question Google
and am still awaiting their reply. Although the order can
give some insight into search term popularity for the
particular search terms, there is still no way to know just
how much of a difference exists between the first and second
terms suggested. In all reality, there could be thousands
more searches for the first term over the second, or their
could be just a few more for the first over the second, but
either way it really doesnt give us the useful information
that Id like to see for SEO work like Overtures suggestion
tool does. When Google responds to my question, Ill be more
than happy to try to edit this article or post the results
to the forum. Until then, hopefully I am wrong, but I just
cant hold out hope that Google would make things that much
easier for SEOs and webmasters looking for ways to
optimize their pages for the Great Google Bot.
About the Author
James R. Sanders is the owner of Sanders Consultation Group Plus. He has been a webmaster and web site designer since 1997, and involved in self-employment ventures since 1992. He is presently a contributing author of NewbieHangout, and has been published through WebProNews. You can email him at webmaster@sanders-consultation-group-plus.com.
