Blended search is the term used to define Google (or Yahoo) searches that return multi-media within the results. For example if you search for the Chicago Bears in a Google Search, you will find at least one video on page one of the search. It should be no surprise then that video, news and images benefit from blended search.
Jupiter research just came out with a study that gives some key facts:
* 36% click “news” results within blended search results
* Only 17% click a “news” result after conducting a news-specific search
* 31% click “image” results within blended search results
* Only 26% click an “image” result after conducting an image-specific search
* 17% click “video” results within blended search results
* Only 10% click a “video” result after conducting a video-specific search
What does this mean for your business: It’s all about utilizing multi-media to best optimize your brand and company. While good, old fashioned SEO is still hugely important, it’s time to optimize your pictures within your web site and news releases. It’s time to not only have video on major video serving sites, but also optimize them for all major search engines.
Standard Google, Yahoo and MSN searches will only reveal more and more multi-media within it’s results. That equates to advertising shelf-space for your brand. It’s time to fully optimize your entire online brand identity.
