• Search Engine Land
  • Sections
    • SEO
    • SEM
    • Local
    • Retail
    • Google
    • Bing
    • Social
    • Resources
    • More
    • Home
  • Follow Us
    • Follow
  • Search Engine Land
  • SEO
  • SEM
  • Local
  • Retail
  • Google
  • Bing
  • Social
  • Resources
  • Live
  • More
  • Events
    • Follow
  • SUBSCRIBE

Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land
  • SEO
  • SEM
  • Local
  • Retail
  • Google
  • Bing
  • Social
  • Resources
  • More
  • Newsletters
  • Home
SEO

Google Instant, Meet Yahoo Instant – Er, Yahoo Rich Search Assist

Yahoo is following Google by rolling out its own version of Google Instant, with a twist. Called “Rich Search Assist,” the feature automatically shows results as you type, though only in the top half of the page. Meet Rich Search Assist The screenshot below shows an example of this: As you type, Yahoo suggests search […]

Danny Sullivan on November 17, 2010 at 1:26 pm
  • More

Yahoo is following Google by rolling out its own version of Google Instant, with a twist. Called “Rich Search Assist,” the feature automatically shows results as you type, though only in the top half of the page.

Meet Rich Search Assist

The screenshot below shows an example of this:

As you type, Yahoo suggests search topics using its preexisting Yahoo Search Assist service. But now, next to the suggestions, Yahoo flashes up a closer look at the first result you’d get for each topic. As you move down through the other suggestions, the preview changes to match those.

The short video below (it’s about 15 seconds) shows this in action. I shot this of Yahoo Rich Search assist running on a Yahoo corporate laptop, so please forgive that it’s not a high-quality screencast:

Now In Testing With Select Users

Shashi Seth, senior vice president of Yahoo Search products, told me about 5% of Yahoo’s users are currently being opted-in to the new experience and that Yahoo is also testing various versions of it.

Testing will likely continue for a month or two until a final product is rolled out to the public, Seth said. Later this week, Yahoo plans a blog post with more details about the service.

Postscript: Yahoo has a post up now about it here.

Ads Covered, Said Has No Impact

Unlike Google Instant, Yahoo’s version of results previews covers up its ads. Seth told me that so far, this has been “revenue neutral” — ad income isn’t impacted. He also also said that “user engagement and happiness” has gone up.

I was a bit confused about this. If engagement is up, that should mean that people are selecting more from the preview box shown and not going the actual result page — which contain ads. So, there should be a drop.

Alternatively, people might be engaging with the preview box, then ultimately ignoring what’s there and closing it, heading to the results the “old fashioned” way. If so, then the previews wouldn’t seem successful.

We’ll all have a better idea when we can actually see and play with the service ourselves.

Instant & Previews & Assist, Oh My!

It’s worth clarifying that Yahoo Rich Search Assist is like Google Instant but NOT like the recently launched Google Instant Previews (which do cover ads and which Google also says doesn’t cause a major impact).

To recap:

  • Google Instant: Launched in September, shows previews of results as you type
  • Google Instant Previews: Launched in November, shows previews of pages listed in results, if you deliberately chose to see them
  • Yahoo Rich Search Assist: Now being tested, shows previews of results as you type

About That Name

As for the name, Yahoo Rich Search Assist, it’s a mouthful. I asked why Yahoo didn’t just call it Yahoo Instant, and Seth smiled. That’s because Yahoo did have a Yahoo Instant search product back in 2005, before Google had its Google Instant that came out this year. Since everyone’s going to call this Yahoo Instant anyway, I think Yahoo should resurrect the name.

By the way, I asked if Yahoo was working on Yahoo Rich Search Assist before or after Google announced Google Instant. Before, I was told.

Finally, looking today, I noticed that somewhere along the way, the old format of how Yahoo’s regular Search Assist worked seems to have ended. You used to get a drop-down box with various suggestions listed horizontally. Now, the suggestions are all listed vertically.

Learning More

You can learn more about how Search Assist used to work, as well as more about other things mentioned in this article, via our past coverage below:

  • Search Suggestions On Steroids: Yahoo Search Assist
  • Yahoo Upgrades Search Experience, Launches Search Assist & Multimedia Content In Results
  • Google Instant Search: The Complete User’s Guide
  • Yahoo Had Instant Search In 2005 & Dropped It; Bing Kind Of Has It Now
  • Google Launches Instant Previews


About The Author

Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan was a journalist and analyst who covered the digital and search marketing space from 1996 through 2017. He was also a cofounder of Third Door Media, which publishes Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, MarTech Today and produces the SMX: Search Marketing Expo and MarTech events. He retired from journalism and Third Door Media in June 2017. You can learn more about him on his personal site & blog He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Related Topics

Channel: SEOGoogle: InstantSearch Features: Query RefinementYahoo: Search

We're listening.

Have something to say about this article? Share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or our LinkedIn Group.

Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.
See terms.

ATTEND OUR EVENTS

Lorem ipsum doler this is promo text about SMX events.

February 23, 2021: SMX Report

April 13, 2021: SMX Create

May 18-19, 2021: SMX London

June 8-9, 2021: SMX Paris

June 15-16, 2021: SMX Advanced

August 17, 2021: SMX Convert

November 9-10, 2021: SMX Next

October 2021: SMX Advanced Europe

December 17, 2021: SMX Code

Available On-Demand: SMX

×


Learn More About Our SMX Events

Discover actionable tactics that can help you overcome crucial marketing challenges. Our next conference will be held:

MarTech 2021: March 16-17

MarTech 2021: Sept. 14-15

MarTech 2020: Watch On-Demand

×

Attend MarTech - Click Here


Learn More About Our MarTech Events

White Papers

  • The State of Local Marketing Report 2020-2021
  • Quality CRM Data: The Key to Delivering Great Customer Experiences
  • How the Microsoft Search Network Can Maximize Your Search Campaigns
  • The Marketer’s Playbook for Customer Acquisition
  • How To Optimize SEO With UGC
See More Whitepapers

Webinars

  • How to Avoid the Digital Transformation Trap
  • How to Build a Marketing System of Record
  • Meet BIMI: The brand-boosting email security marketers must have for 2021
See More Webinars

Research Reports

  • Local Marketing Solutions for Multi-Location Businesses
  • Enterprise Digital Asset Management Platforms
  • Identity Resolution Platforms
  • Customer Data Platforms
  • B2B Marketing Automation Platforms
  • Call Analytics Platforms
See More Research

h
Receive daily search news and analysis.
Search Engine Land
Download the Search Engine Land App on iTunes Download the Search Engine Land App on Google Play

Channels

  • SEO
  • SEM
  • Local
  • Retail
  • Google
  • Bing
  • Social

Our Events

  • SMX
  • MarTech

Resources

  • White Papers
  • Research
  • Webinars
  • Search Marketing Expo
  • MarTech Conference

About

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Marketing Opportunities
  • Staff
  • Connect With Us

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Youtube
  • iOS App
  • Google Play

© 2021 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Your privacy means the world to us. We share your personal information only when you give us explicit permission to do so, and confirm we have your permission each time. Learn more by viewing our privacy policy.Ok