ISEdb.COM

What is Universal Search?

Universal
Search is rapidly becoming the next big step in search engine
evolution. Universal Search is the integration of multiple kinds of
media into search results. Search engine monster Google was the first
to release universal search. Google’s users recently may have noticed
images, YouTube videos, and other forms of media showing up in the
standard results page. The other major search engines have all either
recently rolled out their own versions of Universal Search or have
announced plans to do so. Such a significant change in the operation of
every major search engine warrants close attention from SEO companies.

This
is not the first time Google has introduced multiple kinds of results
on the same search page. For instance, Google has long put
pay-per-click advertisements, local results, and book search results at
the top of the main search page. It is also not the first time the
company has offered searches in multiple kinds of media- Google Image
Search is an age-old feature of the search engine giant. However, it is
the first time a search engine has been able to put multiple content
types within the same ranking system. For instance, under the new
universal search system the number one result for a query could be a
web page, a news article, a video, or even an adobe PDF document.

What are the aims of Universal Search?

Universal
Search is a step towards comprehensive search. Google and the other
engines realize that there is information available in more than text
on the web. Pictures, videos, and virtually any kind of media can be of
use to a searcher. Google has had the tools to search many of these
kinds of media, but these search tools have been separated into
different tabs and sections of their website. Universal Search is an
attempt to bring the most relevant information- from any source or
medium- to the search engine user. While currently Google’s Universal
Search has not added search capabilities for mediums that previously
did not exist, it has started to expand its video search past its own
properties (Metacafe and other video services are now being indexed in
addition to Google Video and YouTube), and it does indicate the
industry’s interest in fully comprehensive searches. Universal Search,
along with Google’s new personalized search features, is the company’s
newest way of bringing the most relevant and effective information to
their users.

Drawbacks of Universal Search

There
are a few legitimate concerns with Universal Search. For one, Google
may be putting itself at legal risk. Google has faced numerous lawsuits
from many content distributors- especially newspapers- due to the fact
that Google often caches copyrighted material. However, one of the main
arguments against Sam Zell (the owner of the Washington Post) and his
case against Google was that Google News, the section of Google’s site
that serves as a news feed, did not have advertising and therefore made
no money. Because of this, the headlines and story excerpts used on the
page constituted fair use. However, now that news articles are being
introduced to the main search page, where Google makes the majority of
its money, Google may be in danger of more lawsuits.

Additionally,
some critics of Universal Search have voiced concerns that the new
system may be unappealing to users. Some feel that the system makes it
harder to sift through results. Universal Search breaks up the
uniformity of the page and could conceivably make it more difficult to
sift through the information. At this point there is no way to turn off
Google’s Universal Search- a point bemoaned by many industry bloggers.Universal
Search is still in its early stages, and Google, as well as the other
search engines, may eventually decide to pull the system. However, at
this point, it would be extremely unwise for SEO companies to bank on a
reversion as the industry as a whole seems to be moving towards
universal search.

How does this affect SEO?

Many
in the SEO field are worried about Universal Search, and the changes it
will bring. While it is still uncertain just how expansive Universal
Search will be as Google continues to implement its multitude of
features, it is certain that SEO companies will need to react to remain
current with effective practices. Until now,
on-site SEO has dealt almost entirely with text content. Keyword
optimization, meta data, linking and page structure are all text.
However, with the advent of Universal Search, new viable options are
opening up for the acquisition of traffic. As search expands to cover
more and more kinds of content, SEO will as a result expand to cover
those same areas. Much the same as SEO has had the goal of making all
of the textual content of a website easily accessible to a search
engine, so will it become necessary to optimize images, videos, and
documents associated with the website.

SEO
for different industries may start to take different approaches and
have different focuses of optimization. For instance, an SEO campaign
for an artist’s website may want to focus on promoting images of the
artist’s work, whereas an electronics provider could want to get a
demonstration video of their product to the top of the results page.
Search engine marketers that have been paying attention to vertical
search (also known as “specialty” search) will benefit the most from
the changes brought by Universal Search.

Vertical
searches are specialized search features of broader engines or
specialty search engines. These index specific kinds of sites and
documents on the internet include books, blogs, and other informational
documents. Universal Search incorporates results from Google’s vertical
searches, and content optimized for these searches will be more likely
to show up in Universal Search. This should also increase the average
user’s awareness of other search options in the engines that adopt
universal search. Universal Search allows search engine marketers to
direct users to the most relevant and enticing information available on
their product or service in whatever media it exists.