Search. It is still the most popular way internet users find information on the internet. And Google, is still the leader in providing users with relevant results for the information they search for. Not only does Google fulfill this process with incredible speed (Google recently adopted a fast search process which immediately displays results, called Google Instant), but beginning today they will be taking search results one step further and they will be doing it with a “whole new view” in mind. That new view, is called Instant Previews.

Today, Mountain View, California based Google Inc. announced on their company blog that they will immediately begin rolling out a new feature in their search engine called Instant Previews. As stated in their blog post entitled “Beyond Instant results: Instant Previews”,

Instant Previews provides a graphic overview of a search result and highlights the most relevant sections, making finding the right page as quick and easy as flipping through a magazine. To use it, click once on the magnifying glass next to the title of any search result and a visual overview of the page will appear on the right. From there, hover your cursor over any other result to see a preview.

What this means for search users, is that now when keywords are typed into Google’s search engine, not only will text link results begin to show instantly, but after clicking a magnifying glass icon once next to any search result, a graphical 300-pixel-wide thumbnail preview of websites will be displayed when hovering over all results. This preview won’t always be of what the entire resulting web page looks like however, the preview shown will actually highlight relevant content and portions of a web page related to a user’s typed-in keywords as well.

“Call outs”, or bubbles displaying the most relevant search information magnified within Instant Previews, will give users indication as to whether the site they are about to visit closely matches the type of information and content they are searching for. In a world where books are judged by their covers and first impressions matter most, this means the look and design of a website is going to play a very important role in whether searchers take that extra step in making the choice of whether to click a link or not.

This would lead some to assume that the best looking sites, such as the ones built with fancy Flash effects are going to gain the most attention to a searcher’s eyes when comparing results. Well, while that assumption may be the case, unfortunately those sites most likely will not be gaining much attention at all. Google’s new Instant Previews feature will not be displaying Flash content within websites, which means that sites built entirely in Flash are going to be at a very big disadvantage.

The sites that are going to gain the most attention in Instant Previews are the sites that not only look attractive in a 300-pixel-wide preview and that have clarity, but the sites that also possess good relevant content. Therefore, it is very important for a site’s designer/developer to know what their most important and competitive keywords are, and it is important for them to build attractive and relevant content around those keywords so that when that information is called out and displayed in Instant Previews, searchers will see greater value in choosing their site versus their other visual alternatives. As well, it is important to note that the previews being displayed by Instant Previews are pixelated and fuzzy so it is important for the content of sites to be easily recognizable.

Screenshot of Google Instant Preview when mousing over a link that was displayed for the search phrase "apple iphone 4 retina display".

Google’s introduction of Instant Previews is just another big step in their effort to providing users with search results quickly and giving them an experience which delivers the most relevant information they are looking for. With Instant Previews being displayed out of cache, users will not have to wait for previews to load, and by giving users something to look at visually, it will be easier for them to find the websites they have already visited in the past quickly without clicking on multiple links trying to remember which site it was they visited.

While the implication of Instant Previews on SEO and web design are still yet to be determined, the whole idea brings up interesting opportunities on both ends for how sites will be developed going forward in order to compete for clicks. The implementation of the Instant Previews feature is a reminder to those who are looking to have a website created, that it is best to choose an agency or company that specializes in both areas. With Google Instant, and now Google Instant Previews, it is more important than ever to have your website created with SEO best practices in mind and attractive design if you care at all for Search to bring your site more visitors than your competition.