Google has told "A-list" bloggers today and some elite members of the press–at a press event dubbed search|ology–a number of improvements are coming to Google. The most important of which is called Universal Search. With Google Universal Search, results will be blended into your search from other vertical search engines in Google like Google Image search, Google Book Search. The blending means that the Google Onebox will slowly be unemphasize and the results will look more organic, no matter which part of Google they’ve come from. Also of note:
- Completely Revamped Navigation with the main tabs on Google.com going to the top of the page instead of directly next to the search box where your cursor never goes, because the Google box gets "Auto Focus" when you head to Google’s page. Auto Focus means that instead of having to click on the search box, after you type in www.Google.com you can start typing your search right away without the need to click on the search box. As you type, your cursor is most likely still up by the address bar, where the new nav buttons will be. Google Navigation bar will be pretty useful I think, here’s a screenshot.
Image: Google Navigation Bar
- Google Experimental: Has launched. You can customize the layout of Google, so check it out for yourself. I would assume that Google will be paying attention to what the majority of users do here and then they can utilize those numbers into their usability studies. This stuff is brilliant. I really like Google’s answer to Microsoft’s unlimited scroll function, by not using the mouse at all (keyboard shortcuts), perhaps we have even a better front end to search. I still think Microsoft has a better front end to search though. http://www.Google.com/experimental/index.html
- Timeline and Map Views
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Left-hand search Navigation
- Right-hand Contextual Search Navigation
- Meta Video Search: Google will start searching outside YouTube again.
- Enhanced Meaning search: Words like runs = running doesn’t work in all contexts though. Google’s done a lot of quantitative analysis on this subject and they have some improved stuff coming.
Some links. Search Engine Land’s Coverage: TechCrunch’s Coverage:
Technorati tags: Searchology, Search|ology, Google, Google Navigation bar, Google experimental, Google Meta video search, Enhanced Meaning search, Google Timeline and Map Views, Keyboard Shortcuts, Meaning search, Web Search Keyboard Shortcuts, Mouseless Search
WordPress Tags: Searchology, Search|ology, Google, Google Navigation bar, Google experimental, Google Meta video search, Enhanced Meaning search, Google Timeline and Map Views, Keyboard Shortcuts, Meaning search, Web Search Keyboard Shortcuts, Mouseless Search
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