At Google Watch today, Clint Boulton found an interesting comment from Google CEO Eric Schmidt during Thursday’s earnings call.

During the call, Schmidt spoke about focusing on the “untapped potential of search and ads” and Google’s emphasis on search quality:

“Wouldn’t it be nice if Google understood the meaning of your phrase rather than just the words that are in that phrase? We have a lot of discoveries in that area that are going to roll out in the next little while.”

As Boulton points out, this is another step in semantic search — something Google has been working on somewhat under the radar for a while. But, if Schmidt’s comments are an indication, it may be more visible in 2009.

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Web Search

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