Google continues testing new search results interfaces, including wider & card–styled results

Google is constantly testing new search results interfaces. Here are some screen shots of their latest tests.

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Google is constantly playing around and testing user interfaces for their search results and other services. Just recently, we captured them testing black instead of blue links in the main search results. Now, we are seeing Google testing two different interfaces, one that has a much more spacious and wider search results page layout, and the other that brings back the card-based styled interface from 2013.

Wider Google search results

Earlier this month, Google began testing the wider interface, and then earlier this week, the test spiked, and more and more searchers saw it. We asked Google about it, but they would not confirm or deny if it was something they would launch. They basically told us they are always testing things.

The new wider interface brings more space for longer titles, longer descriptions for both the organic results and the AdWords ads. But again, it may just be a test, and although many are seeing it now, Google may not officially launch it.

Dan Barker has a nice visualization of the changes on Twitter, which you can see below with the gridlines of the changes:

google-wider-search-interface

The top version is the wider test compared to the bottom version.

Again, we are not sure if Google will launch this, especially after spotting the next test this morning.

Card-style search results

This morning, I was notified by several people on Twitter that Google was testing the old card-style interface we saw from 2013 on the desktop results. By card-style, I mean each search result gets its own card or is boxed in by itself. Here are screen shots from @nagula_kiran and @Bring_NickB:

google-card-style-interface

google-card-style-interface2

So what will Google go with? Hard to say. A lot of people are seeing both tests now, but the wider test was something that a ton of Google searchers saw. Again, Google would not comment on these tests.


About the author

Barry Schwartz
Staff
Barry Schwartz is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

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