Yahoo is introducing Search Direct - a feature similar to Google Instant, and search marketers must ask themselves if this will impact SEO.

Yesterday, Brafton reported that Yahoo sites are the top properties on the web, and Yahoo is second only to Google as consumers’ search destination. Now, the company is introducing Search Direct – a feature similar to Google Instant, and search marketers must ask themselves if this will impact SEO.

According to the announcement, the beta version of Search Direct will be rolled out to U.S. searchers today. It predicts queries as consumers type and offers access to related websites before they even hit the Search button.

This is similar to Google Instant’s dynamic search, which the search giant unveiled last year. Search Direct opens questions about optimizing content for Bing-powered searches, as Google Instant did, since suggested results may overpower intended queries.

But while Google Instant focused on delivering entire results pages as users typed, Search Direct brings users to a small group of select “answers” that go “beyond a list of blue links,” says Yahoo. This language mirrors recent statements from Bing about its desire to move away from traditional results pages in an effort to revolutionize the way people search.

“We are redefining the search process and prominently displaying direct answers where search decisions are being made,” said Shashi Seth, senior vice president of Yahoo Search and Marketplaces.

Redefining the search process is a move Yahoo’s search ally, Bing, will likely stand behind. As Brafton reported, Microsoft's corporate vice president for core search program management, Brian MacDonald, told Fast Company that Bing wants to bring about the end of the days of “10 blue links” and revamp users' search experiences.

Still, Google probably has nothing to fear. The latest comScore search ranking report reveals that the search giant is the market leader by a long shot.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.