Google has added a brand new search instrument called "Google Instant". Google is the most significant search engine on the planet and when it modifies the way it works the rumbling it causes is heard globally. Google toolbar users will find it familiar. It’s a basic keyword suggestion tool. To the everyday observer "Google Instant" really does not look like much. Google now shows likely searches based on the poularity of previous similar searches, and displays outputs in real time immediately. When you understand how it works, you can use it to find the best keywords for your services.

There’s nothing new about keyword suggestions. Google instant, however, has made these suggestions much more important. Casual users didn’t usually use keyword suggestions, probably because of the subtleties of using the keyboard to select the ones you wanted. No such subtleties are needed to use Google Instant.

I’m sure you’re wondering how this will affect you. It means that "New York Accountants" is a better keyword than "New York Accountant" because the plural version comes up as a result in Google Instant and the singular version does not.

If you can get a good ranking in a better keyword your listing will get more exposure and your accounting website will get more visits.

How It Works

With Google Instant, a searcher might be looking for a "Boston Accountant" and Google Instant will display a search results page as you type. The City name is too generic to matter, and none of the suggested keywords will be relevant to you, but look what happens as you type "a-c-c-o-u"… and soon a relevant keyword appears among the suggestions! Most users are going to stop typing here and use their down arrow to select the search term they want… "Boston Accountants". Naturally this is a search term you want to market to!

What Does This Mean for SEO?

There’s a concern in the SEO marketing community that this could negatively impact how SEO works for long-tailed keywords, phrases containing three or more words. What impact will this have on YOUR SEO? Well, if you’re a small or medium sized accounting firm you might be pleased.

The first step in the SEO process is identifying your relevant keywords. Google instant makes this process easy. As you type, the keywords Google has found to be used most often show up in gray in the search box.

The guessing game and hours spent pouring over traffic stats to identify your primary keywords are no longer necessary. Google Instant will tell you exactly what keywords and phrases are most likely to be searched.

Keyword Basics Still Count

There are some basic rules in selecting key phrases for your accounting website that still apply. The basic keywords you need to implement into your website should consist of the services you provide and your location. This will give you a base to work with. After you have a list of base keywords, expand it by making some more specific terms that potential clients might type in. For example, someone could look for "Tampa FL Strategic Business Planning."

You’ve Got the Keywords – Now What?

Make sure to use your base keywords a couple of times on your home page and other important pages. The home page should have keywords for your primary service and your location. Scatter keywords around the rest of the site as well, and optimize different pages to different, but related, key phrases. The more you customize your site the more relevant it will appear. Make sure your service pages are optimized to your location.

By following these steps, your page’s SEO score will increase. Try to optimize as many pages as you can to as many different key phrases as you can.

Work on your website continuously. Search engines prefer dynamic sites to static ones. SEO is a duty I liken to mowing the lawn; it’s a an activity that’s never actually over. It’s a process rather than a destination.

Fortunately, Google Instant makes the journey much less difficult.