Google adds universal element to search
Posted 25 May 2007 at 8:53AM by Simon Dickson in Doing business online
Eagle-eyed searchers may have spotted a few changes on Google in the past week. Its famously sterile white design now includes a few white-to-grey fade effects; there's now a 'navigation bar' at the top of the screen, directing you to the many other Google searches and services available. But it's the new 'universal search' concept which has stirred most excitement on the blogs, even though you'd be forgiven for not noticing it.
Try this search for 'Gordon Brown', and look in the grey bar near the top. Not only are you given a link to 'web' search results, but also 'news', 'blogs' and 'images'. Different queries result in different extra options: search for 'python', a programming language as well as a snake, and you'll be offered searches on 'blogs', 'books', 'groups' and 'code'. Try 'london england' and you'll be offered maps and images; but curiously, if you search for just 'london', you don't.
Many bloggers have taken pleasure in pointing out that some of these features have been offered by other smaller search engines for some time; not least Google's own Searchmash testbed. But Google (proper) completely dominates the search landscape, so it is a big story when they introduce developments like these. And besides, they're promising these changes are 'just the beginning steps toward the universal search vision', as they 'break down the walls that traditionally separated our various search properties and integrate the vast amounts of information available into one simple set of search results.'
Tags: google, searchmash, universal
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1. At May 28, 2007 1:27 AM, Des Walsh wrote: