Last week, Brafton reported that Bing had unveiled a number of new search features – from more socially recommended results to revamped photo searches. Now, it seems Google wants to get in on the action, as one internet user reports he has seen a "top references" search refinement Google is testing.
Blogstorm writer Patrick Altoft says he came across a "top references" feature when conducting a search for roses. Under the search bar, it seems he was given a list of similar search phrases (accompanied byphotos) that have pages mentioning roses.
Clicking these results seems to shows users the relevant pages, with the original search phrase and suggested search word highlighted in a text snippet. Altoft says, "Unlike other filters, the original search query in the search box doesn't change."
Brafton is unable to replicate the references feature, but it seems that the tool makes careful keyword targeting important. Marketers may want to consider creating content with a breadth of related keywords in order to direct users to their sites through both general searches and potential "top references" results.
With or without "top references" from Google, marketers would be wise to carefully plan their keywords for SEO campaigns next year. As Brafton has reported, content marketing will be a priority in 2011, with 78 percent of marketers saying it is key to the success of their organizations.
