Meet The Google OneBox, Plus Box, Direct Answers & The 10-Pack
Sep 28, 2009 at 6:12pm ET by Danny Sullivan
Google's "normal" listings show the title of a web page, a description of it (also called a "snippet") and the web page's URL. However, Google also has other listings that appear within search results that are designed to give access to some of its specialized search tools (such as news search), to allow more information to be shown than a standard answer provides or to show answers directly within the search page. Here's a short overview to these alternatives.
OneBox Results
OneBox results are when Google shows information within a special unit, often with images associated with [...]
Filed in: Features: General, Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers, Search Features: Query Refinement, Search Features: Shortcuts, Top News
Google Fires Back At Bing, Launches “Explore Google Search”
Jun 17, 2009 at 5:10pm ET by Danny Sullivan
I wrote earlier that it was probably driving Google crazy to see people "amazed" that Bing is doing stuff that Google itself has long offered. Now Google's fighting back. The first shot? A new Explore Google Search page.
Google's had help pages like this before. For example, this one still remains, showing various special features such as the ability to get weather results. But this new page is being featured right from the Google home page:
The page frames many of Google's features in an easier-to-read format:
And it comes with an introduction highlighting how serious G [...]
Filed in: Features: Analysis, Google: Marketing, Google: Web Search, Microsoft: Bing, Search Features: Shortcuts, Top News, Yahoo: Shortcuts
Translation: A New Instant Answer From Bing
Jun 11, 2009 at 9:47am ET by Barry Schwartz
The Microsoft Translator Blog announced that translation is now an instant answer in Bing, Microsoft's new search engine.
Here are some examples:
Google added limited translation as a OneBox over a year ago. But it seems like both Yahoo and Ask.com do not have smart answers for translation.
Hat tip to LiveSide for spotting this. [...]
Filed in: Microsoft: Bing, Search Features: Shortcuts
Big Upset: Live Search & Ask.com Win Kentucky Derby Search
May 4, 2009 at 11:49pm ET by Matt McGee
The major search engines are often quick to point out occasions when they've done a good job anticipating searchers' needs and providing instant answers to search queries right in the search results; see this Live Search announcement about instant Oscar Award results as an example.
But when they miss an opportunity? That's someone else's job. And over the weekend, Rick Duncan did just that when he compared Google, Yahoo, Live Search, and Ask.com to see how they handled the search phrase, who won the kentucky derby.
The results?
Duncan says Live Search was the winner from his Sunday mo [...]
Filed in: Search Features: Shortcuts
And The Oscar For Best Search Engine For Oscar Winners Goes To … Microsoft Live & Ask.com
Feb 23, 2009 at 6:44pm ET by Danny Sullivan
I've written about how hard it is for people to break the Google Habit (and see here) and consider other search engines. But breaking the habit can be done, and Microsoft's Live Search shows an easy win for this type of thing in response to a search for oscar winners. Check it out -- the actual winners are shown right at the top of the page:
Microsoft talks more about this special feature in a blog post from Friday. And similar to Microsoft, Ask.com also provides direct answers:
Now compare those to what you get on the same search over at Google:
No actual answers, n [...]
Filed in: Features: Analysis, Search Features: Shortcuts, Top News
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