Google Instant is about User Experience, Not Revenue, At This Point

Jonathan Rosenberg , SVP Product Management at Google, says that “from a revenue standpoint impact, Google Instant has been minimal.”

From a resource standpoint, it's more expensive. So why do it? People like it. That doesn't mean there is no revenue-related reason to do it. To the extent that it glues users to Google for search, it is worth it. If other revenue opportunities arise later, that's good. But right now, it might be more a cool feature than an immediate driver of revenue.

Impact of ‘Google Instant’ on Revenue Is Minimal, But People Love It