When we look at the future of search, we must also look at the history of search. In the early days, the technology did not deliver relevant results for users. But now the technology has caught up. As a result, the user is now doing more specific, longer tail searches and is still getting relevant results.

Moving into the future of search, will the users or technology change? Up to this point, Goodman says that the technology has been changing. In regards to the future, he says, “Technology is going to be driving what are some changes as far as user behavior goes, or where you might go.”

On the searcher side, where users search is another influencing factor in the future of search. Although searches within social media sites are growing, the major search engines are still the biggest drivers of search, since they power most social sites.

So, as search evolves, how will SEO change? Goodman says search engine optimization will always change but will always remain important.

How do you see searchers and technology influencing search in the future and how will SEO evolve?

First of all, there is no question that mobile is currently one of the hottest topics, since it provides users with accessibility anytime and anywhere. On the search side of mobile, Goodman explains that most searches are done at a local level; however, he expects search behavior to extend beyond that trend in the future.

He also points out that, in many cases, mobile is the only way other countries are able to access to the Web. As a result, these countries have produced many innovations. Moving forward, he believes these countries will have a strong influence on the U.S. in the area of mobile.

On the topic of retail, Goodman indicates that it is picking up after the downturn in 2008. Although small-to-medium sized businesses had an especially hard time during the recession, they are rebounding as well.

In order for the SMBs to compete successfully against large retailers, Goodman advises them to establish loyalty, quality service, and personal understanding. He says they can do this by being active in social media.

Lastly, if you haven’t heard about Chatroulette yet, you probably will see it soon, since it is a growing trend. Essentially, it is an online video streaming service that allows users to connect randomly with other users from all over the world. comScore became interested in the service when it grew from 109,000 users in January to 960,000 users in February.

Interestingly enough, males are the largest users of this trend, primarily the 18-24 year-old males. comScore data also indicates that Chatroulette is driven by college students and the unemployed. As for the future of this latest phenomenon, Goodman says, “[the] jury’s still out.”

Keep watching WebProNews for our next segment with comScore’s Eli Goodman in which he talks about the future of search and how personalization and social media will influence it.

First of all, he predicts that a lot of offline branding dollars will shift into online spending. He said, “There is simply too much money being spent offline on branding and too little of that being spent online.”

Secondly, Goodman expects an increased amount of technology opportunities for in-text search advertising. As he explained, it is the idea that relevant terms could be hyperlinked or underlined within a publisher’s content. As a result, if users scrolled over the relevant term, a search results page could pop up or something more specific, such as a recipe.

Thirdly, he sees a rise in social search and opportunities for marketers in social search. Currently, the search engines on social networks like Facebook and MySpace are powered by Bing and Google, respectively. That said, the search results from both the traditional search engines and the social networks are primarily the same. Because the social networks have access to so much personal information, Goodman believes the social sites need to better leverage their data to deliver more relevant results.

In looking beyond 2010, Goodman said search would be integrated into marketing at a much higher level. He even foresees it eventually taking a large share of the overall marketing strategy.

In addition, he anticipates a crossover between screens in regards to television, phones, and computer screens. If the NBC/Comcast deal gets approved, he believes many more similar mergers will come about to allow users to connect their experiences.

What trends do you foresee for 2010 and beyond?

As search engines become more sophisticated, so do the searchers. In the above video from SES Chicago, Eli Goodman, Search Evangelist for ComScore, says 73 percent of searchers are  now becoming more specific with their search queries and are looking for information and help. Although these observations strengthen a paid strategy, ComScore is seeing a shift in traffic to social media enhancers such as Yahoo! Answers, Google Blogger, and About.com.

To make the search experience more sophisticated for the user, the CPG sites need to cater to those early on in the purchase process instead of only focusing on product details and where to buy. Users want and need the opportunity to ask questions and have those questions answered.

If searchers have a positive user experience, then they will become repeat customers. Another perk with a producing a positive user experience is getting effective word-of-mouth promotion in return.