Google > Google: Universal Search
Google Universal Search is a way that Google blends results from the various specialized search engines that it operates into a single list. Google's Universal Search Explained from our Search Illustrated column puts the overall concept into an easy-to-digest picture. Google 2.0: Google Universal Search is our tutorial that provides a detailed look at how Google Universal Search works. Check them out, along with the other coverage below.
Apr. 7, 2008 at 7:09am by Greg Sterling
iProspect: Blended Search Resulting In More Clicks On News, Images, And Video
Since the advent of "blended" or "universal search" last year across the major engines, there's been ongoing discussion and speculation about its impact on user behavior and search marketing. Gord Hotchkiss last year wrote extensively about how blended search (on Google) has in fact shifted the user focus from the...
See Related Stories In: Google: Universal Search, Microsoft: Live Search, Microsoft: Live Search SEO, SEO: General, SEO: Video Search, Search Marketing: Branding, Search Marketing: General, Stats: Search Behavior, Yahoo: SEO, Yahoo: User Interface
Mar. 20, 2008 at 10:50am by Greg Sterling
Branding Coming To Search In A Big Way
Search has historically been seen as a direct response vehicle and the notion that search is a branding medium has traditionally been met with considerable skepticism by search marketers, albeit somewhat less recently. In an effort to be provocative in moderating the "branding and search" panel at SMX West last...
See Related Stories In: Google: Other Ads, Google: Universal Search, Google: YouTube & Video, Yahoo: Search Ads, Yahoo: Video
Mar. 19, 2008 at 11:59am by Barry Schwartz
Google SafeSearch Filter Bug: Porn Found On Google Universal Search Results
This morning I reported at the Search Engine Roundtable that users have been spotting explicit pornographic images on Google web search for a search on hot celebrities (warning: before clicking, take caution). The query triggers Google to show an image search result at the top of the web search results,...
See Related Stories In: Google: Images, Google: Universal Search
Feb. 6, 2008 at 1:59pm by Daniel Bower
New—And Unfortunate—Changes To Google Local Search
Google recently made some quite significant changes to the OneBox / Universal Search result that appears at the top of the result page when you do a query that Google determines has local intent. Previously, Google would display three local search results in the OneBox area, with a star rating...
See Related Stories In: Google: Maps & Local, Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers, Google: Universal Search
Jan. 30, 2008 at 10:32am by Danny Sullivan
Google Universal Search: 2008 Edition
It's just over a half-year since Google launched Universal Search, its method of blending results from its own various topically-focused or "vertical" search engines. Since that time, the system has evolved. In particular, Google Universal Search now fills more than just 10 spots on the page, while shopping and...
See Related Stories In: Google: Maps & Local, Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers, Google: Universal Search, Google: User Interface, Search 3.0
Jan. 10, 2008 at 8:03am by Greg Sterling
Google Maps Gaining On Market Leader Mapquest
Mapquest arguably "owns" the mapping brand online. It has been the dominant mapping site for years by a wide margin. But that dominance may now be slipping under pressure from Google. Hitwise reports that "traffic to Mapquest has remained flat year on year and is down 20% in the past...
See Related Stories In: AOL: MapQuest, Google: Business Issues, Google: Critics, Google: Maps & Local, Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers, Google: Universal Search, Microsoft: Live Search Local, Stats: Size, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Dec. 13, 2007 at 11:15am by Barry Schwartz
Google 2D? Google Tests Vertical Results In Right-Hand Column
Ask 3D was the name Ask gave to the "three pane" user interface rolled out earlier this year. Now Google seems to be copying Ask, at least to the second degree, with the right-most column being used to show vertical results similar to how Ask does it. Google Blogoscoped and...
See Related Stories In: Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers, Google: Universal Search, Google: User Interface
Dec. 12, 2007 at 9:22am by Barry Schwartz
Google Adds Subscribed Links To Universal Search Interface
Google Subscribed Links Integrated Into Universal Search from Google Blogoscoped reports Google has integrated subscribed links into the Universal Search interface within the search results. In the past, subscribed links, which is part of the Google Custom Search Engine initiative, would be listed in a green box at the top...
See Related Stories In: Google: Custom Search Engine, Google: Universal Search
Nov. 27, 2007 at 9:11am by Danny Sullivan
Search 3.0: The Blended & Vertical Search Revolution
This has been a remarkable year. After years of no real dramatic evolution in search, the third generation finally arrived. Google calls it Universal Search, and I've been tending to say "blended search" as a generic name for the change that's now hit all the major search engines. But in...
See Related Stories In: Ask: Web Search, Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers, Google: Universal Search, Microsoft: Live Search, Search 3.0, Search Features: Shortcuts, Yahoo: Shortcuts
Nov. 8, 2007 at 11:30pm by Danny Sullivan
Chewing Gum, Google Universal Search, & Is That A Nude Woman?
Here's latest Google Universal Search funny, this time for chewing gum. Three images at the top. You've got your gumballs, your Juicy Fruit, and your -- um -- naked woman? Yep:...
See Related Stories In: Google: Universal Search, Search & Society: April Fool's
Sep. 7, 2007 at 4:04pm by Greg Sterling
Google Actively Considering 'Richer Format' Ads For Google.com
MediaPost reports on comments, about image and video ads potentially appearing on Google, made by company speakers at the Citigroup Technology Conference in New York this week. However, this is just a further acknowledgment and confirmation of what Marissa Mayer previously alluded to during the Universal Search unveiling in May....
See Related Stories In: Google: AdWords, Google: Universal Search, Google: User Interface
Aug. 31, 2007 at 8:56am by David Bailey
An Insider's View Of Google Universal Search
Google's Universal Search was definitely a buzz generator at Search Engine Strategies in San Jose. Universal was tagged as probably the most significant development in search this year, and its effects are just starting to be felt throughout the industry, by both searchers and search marketers alike. It’s particularly...
See Related Stories In: Google: Universal Search, Just Behave
Aug. 3, 2007 at 1:12pm by Danny Sullivan
Google Universal Search Means Looking For Raccoons Is No Longer Family Friendly
A reader tipped me off to this. Search for raccoon, and Google Universal Search puts some pictures up at the top of the page: See it? Third one over? I didn't know a dog and a raccoon could, well......
See Related Stories In: Google: Universal Search, Search & Society: April Fool's
Jul. 6, 2007 at 7:05am by Danny Sullivan
Making Google Universal Search (Sort Of) Work Like Ask3D
Google Universal Search and Ask3D are two different approaches to the same thing: how to blend results from various search databases into a single page. Ask has received praise for being more elegant in its presentation. What if you could make Google act like Ask? You can, with a new...
See Related Stories In: Google: Universal Search
Jul. 3, 2007 at 8:48am by Elliance
Search Illustrated: Google's Universal Search Explained
Google recently made what Danny called "the most radical change to its search results ever, introducing a "Universal Search" system that will blend listings from its news, video, images, local and book search engines among those it gathers from crawling web pages." Danny went on to write a massive,...
See Related Stories In: Google: Universal Search, Search Illustrated
Jun. 29, 2007 at 5:09pm by Danny Sullivan
London Car Bombs: The Big Fat Search Failure
I was in London last night right smack in the area where a large bomb was defused this morning. Naturally, I was curious about what exactly had happened. I hit the news sites, but then I wondered what would happen for those searching generally for information using search engines. Both...
See Related Stories In: Ask: General, Google: Universal Search, Stats: Relevancy
Jun. 28, 2007 at 9:06am by Barry Schwartz
Mossberg, Ask.com "Goes Much Further" Than Google
Ask.com Takes Lead In Designing Display Of Search Results by Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal reviews Ask.com's new 3D look. Mossberg gave Ask.com great reviews, comparing Ask.com's three-pane approach to Google's Universal Search approach. Mossberg said Ask.com "took greater strides" than Google with their user interface. The new...
See Related Stories In: Ask: Web Search, Google: Universal Search, Search Features: General, Stats: Popularity, Stats: Relevancy
Jun. 15, 2007 at 1:39pm by Barry Schwartz
Some Q&A On Recent Google Video & YouTube Changes
When Google launched Google Universal Search, we saw changes in how Google dealt with video in regular result and in Google Video. Yesterday brought more changes. Danny and I had several follow-up questions related to these. Google representative Gabriel Stricker spent the time with me answer some of them. The...
See Related Stories In: Google: Universal Search, Google: YouTube & Video
Jun. 8, 2007 at 9:18am by Barry Schwartz
Google Maps & YouTube Are Big Traffic Winners in Google Universal Update
Bill Tancer of Hitwise released new data comparing Google's web properties before and after the release of Google Universal Search. As we know, Google Universal Search changed how Google's vertical search results appeared in the main Google web search results. Overall, Google Maps and YouTube saw the biggest increase, while...
See Related Stories In: Google: Maps & Local, Google: Universal Search, Google: YouTube & Video, Stats: Hitwise
May. 18, 2007 at 8:40am by Barry Schwartz
Video Hits Google Universal Search & Google Video Now Live With Meta Search?
Since the announcement of Google Universal Search, I have been waiting eagerly to see videos show up within Google's search results. Last night, it finally started. For me, it was for a search on star wars kid (here's more about him). You can see the embedded video showing up in...
See Related Stories In: Google: SEO, Google: Universal Search, Google: YouTube & Video
May. 17, 2007 at 1:24pm by Greg Sterling
Universal Search Spawns New Format For Google Maps
In conjunction with Universal Search, the Google Maps team created a new "text view" that features images of local businesses and a smaller map. The placement of ads is different, below the map on the right. And there's a pull-down menu to adjust distance. Here's an example for "coffee houses,...
