Amit Banerjee has spotted a new Google test with the new top bar that places the top bar in a fixed position at the top of the screen and stays there even as you scroll down. Amit captured a screen demo of this in action: As you can see, the top bar stays with you as you scroll down the results. In addition, the instant previews section also was redesigned to have a more fixed look. Alex Chitu feels that this is prepping for Google possibly launching an infinite scroll interface to the search results. Where you no longer have page numbers at the bottom of the page to go to the " [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Top News

A Google spokesperson has informed Search Engine Land that the Google Wonder Wheel feature has been taken offline. The spokesperson said that the search tool was removed due to the "initial stage" of the Google site redesign announced earlier this week. The Google Wonder Wheel along with a number of other search refinements were formally introduced at the 2009 Searchology event but actually became available as part of a test a couple of months earlier. Wonder Wheel was used by SEOs, SEMs, and advertisers as a way to visually identify relationships between a search term(s) and related [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search | Search Features: Query Refinement | Top News

Google is now heavily testing a new top bar color, that color is black. Google began testing this back about a month ago, as reported by Google Operating System but now Google seemed to have stepped up those tests. So much so, users are complaining that their custom Google home page designs look bad because of the new black bar. Last week we reported Google was testing a grayed out design interface. As you know, Google constantly tests new designs, features and layouts - so this comes with no surprise. As a side note, Google is also testing a black YouTube player. Related [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface

Like in the previous years, Google has added a rainbow to the search results to show their support for the Gay and Lesbian community. June is Gay and Lesbian Pride month and like Google has done before in 2010, 2009 and 2008, Google has added the rainbow colors when you search for gay related keywords. For example, search for [gay] and you will get a rainbow surrounding the search box: Related Stories: Google Goes Rainbow For Gay-Related Searches Google Supports Gay Pride With Rainbow Colors [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

A reader emailed us a screen shot of the Google home page missing the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button as well as a new look for the inside search result pages. Here are those screen shots. Notice the home page missing the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button: The next screen shot shows a completely new look for the Google search results page. It has a colorless left side filter and a gray background behind the Google logo throughout the search box. Hat tip to R Edward @ rocknrolla.com. Related Stories: Meet The New Google Look & Its Colorful, Useful "Search Options" Column New [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Top News

Google Operating System reports Google is testing a new search snippet, one that is displaying the site name as opposed to the destination URL under the search result's description. Here is a screen shot from the blog: I personally cannot replicate the same behavior, what I see is the full destination URL in the search results. Related Stories: Google Testing URL Above Search Results Snippet Is Google Testing Related Tags Under Search Snippets? Google "Jump To" Links Within Search Snippets Google Shows Your Latest Tweet As Search Snippet … In 10 Seconds Anatomy O [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

The Google Search Blog announced two new user interface changes for image results on the Google web search results. Google has added a larger thumbnail image when you hover your cursor over image and Google will show more images when Google can detect your search intent asks for it. For example, a search for [flowers] returns these results and when you hover over an image, it expands: But when you search for [flower images] you many many more images: You can trigger the web results to show more images by adding keywords like "photos", "pictures", and "images" to a query. R [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Images | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

PhoneArena.com has screen captures of a new Google search interface designed for the iPhone and maybe other mobile devices, such as Android, Palm Pre and others. The interface uses colorful app-like icons at the top of the search bar, instead of small blue tabbed links on the current interface. It does push down the search results real estate a lot but it also makes the search interface a bit easier to see and use. It somewhat emphasis the colorful left hand side bar Google uses on Google.com for the past year. Here are pictures from PhoneArena.com: Related Stories: [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Mobile | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

I am seeing reports from searchers that Google is testing a new layout for the organic and paid search results. In this test, Google is placing the destination or display URL above the search snippet or description and below the title of the search result. Typically the URL is placed under the snippet or description, not above it. @kazuyasasa and James Carswell posted screen shots of the change. Here is one picture: Google has tested the display URL above the AdWords ad description before. We have a post about that test in 2008 titled Google AdWords Tests Display URL Above Ad Desc [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

SEOGadget noticed Google testing a new travel search OneBox interface. I suspect this is an early sign of the Google ITA integration, where Google purchased ITA, a travel software company. A typical Google travel search OneBox looks like this: The new travel OneBox offers a more detailed box of information with departing cities, airlines and prices: Clicking on the plus sign will extend the one box to show you additional departing cities, airlines and prices: I personally cannot replicate it but let me share the screen shots from SEOGadget's blog. Postscript: Goog [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Acquisitions | Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers | Google: Transit | Google: User Interface

Over the weekend, I received a dozen or so emails, tweets and other notifications of a new Google search results page interface and layout. I personally do not see it, but from the screen shots shared with me, it doesn't look pretty. There is a lot of white space, dotted lines to separate one search result for the next, and to me, it just seems like something is missing. The news was covered widely and can be seen on Techmeme for a glance at some of the stories. Here are screen shots from @HilzFuld and BlogsDNA, but there are many many more floating around the web. Honestly, I am sh [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Top News

Search for [news] or [new york times] or [fox news] or other queries that would bring up a popular news site and you will see a new search snippet displayed within the search results for these news sites. As you can see from the screen shot above, Google is displaying in the search results some of the popular and recent stories from these news sources. The stories are labeled with how recent they were published and can be clicked on directly from the search results. Clicking on the story headline will jump you directly to the story on the publisher's site. I have not seen Google of [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Rich Snippets | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

Google has disabled the ability to star search results from within the Google search results page. As you may remember, Google replaced SearchWiki with starring results back in March 2010, about 16-months after Google launched SearchWiki. Now that Google has re-introduced a way to block sites in Google, Google has determined you no longer need to star search results from the search results page. This does not mean that you can no longer see stars in your Google search results. It does however mean that you will no longer be able to star results directly from the search results. Instea [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Features: General | Google: SearchWiki | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search | Magazine | Top News | Weekender

Google's Instant Preview feature, which lets users view thumbnails of the Web pages in results, is now officially being rolled out to mobile for Android and iOS devices. The feature, which is accessed via a magnifying glass icon to the right of the search result, had been spotted as early as the end of January on iOS devices. The mobile Instant Previews extend the desktop feature announced in November, which is aimed at helping users reach their desired destination more quickly. The feature is likely to be even more useful on mobile devices, where smaller screen size and touchscreen i [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface

As Tim Cohn noticed, Google has changed how it shows Twitter profiles in search results. With the new display, Google is showing the user's latest tweet as the snippet. As you can see from my example above, it's even keeping links from the tweet active in the snippet. And if you're curious to know how quickly your latest tweet might make its way into the search results, how does 10 seconds sound? See below.... Postscript: Google appears to only show your latest tweet as the search snippet if you've tweeted recently. It's now been several hours since my last tweet and the search s [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

Via Google Operating System comes the screenshot above, which shows a new test Google is running that involves auto-completing search queries. It's similar to Google Suggest but, as Google Operating System notes, this auto-completion is happening on long-tail terms where Google Suggest has stopped giving suggestions. I was unable to replicate the test using the same search term shown above. A Google spokesperson gave us this statement about the test: At any given time we are running 50-200 search experiments. We run more than 6,000 search experiments in a given year. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Suggest | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

A week ago, we reported on a new top navigation bar Google began testing. Now it's official. Google tells Search Engine Land that the new navigation bar is being rolled out to everyone.Google told us: Last week we tested a new top navigation bar, which increases consistency across most of Google's properties and is a visual update over the previous top navigation bar. We are now rolling this new bar out widely. Google's New Nav Look The new navigation bar allows the Google page and search results move up slightly, since the bar is slightly shorter than the previous bar. It also adds a b [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search | Top News

Google is often changing and experimenting with their web search interfaces. Most recently, Google switched back from the purple AdWords background color the the yellow color. There are at least three new changes Google has implemented or is testing on their search results interface. (1) Google Instant Works For Search Operators: As reported at Google Operating System blog, if you begin to type in a search operator into Google's search box, Google Instant will kick in. For example, try searching this site on Google by typing [site:searchengineland.com keywords goes here]. Previous, Go [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search

In July 2010, Google changed the color of the AdWords background from yellow to purple. Now, less 7 months after the switch, it appears Google has gone back to the yellow color. Here is a screen shot of the yellow background color from today and directly below it a screen shot of the purple color from yesterday: Google has not officially announced this change yet, but it seems like everyone is now seeing the yellow background colors. When Google moved from yellow to purple, they told us: Starting today and ramping up to 100% globally by the end of this week, we’ll be cha [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: User Interface | Top News

Google announced they have added Google Instant to Google Shopping Search view within the web results. If you are on Google.com, search for a product and then filter your search on the left hand side by "Shopping", Google Instant will allow you to search for new products. Interestingly enough, this does not seem to work off the Google Product Search home page. Here is a screen shot: Google said, "now you can shop faster than ever and get the speed of Google Instant when comparing prices, looking for nearby stores and learning about products you want to buy." Keep in mind, af [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Instant | Google: Product Search | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search