In the beginning, Google matched the words in a searcher's query to the words on a web page and ranks those pages (roughly) based on how many external links each had. Over the years, Google's algorithms have evolved  in numerous ways, including with how Google figures out what the searcher is really looking for. Now, for instance, when you search for [U2], not only does Search Engine Land Executive News Editor Matt McGee's site appear at the top of the results (go Matt!), but so do images and video from the band even though the words "images" or "videos" weren't in the query. Searcher In [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Features: Analysis | Google: SEO | Search Features: Spelling Correction | Top News

It appears that Google is testing showing a red squiggly line in the Google search box as you type, if they feel the spelling of your query is wrong. You know, the red line you see when you have a spelling mistake when using Microsoft Word or other word processors. At first, I thought it was a built-in spell checking feature of the browser, but after seeing additional reports and then seeing it myself last night, it seems to me to be a new feature Google is testing. Here is a screen shot of it in action: I've had several other people confirm Google was showing them this red squigg [...]

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

Google announced this weekend that spelling corrections are now available in Google Suggest. Google is now showing "Did you mean?" suggestions/corrections for certain misspelling situations. Google said if "you're typing a query for which there are no search completions to offer, and yet some of your search terms do seem to be misspelled, Google Suggest will now offer a "Did you mean" suggestion for your query." So this will only come up with no search completions are there and if there is a misspelling in your query. It will not currently offer a spelling correction if there are search [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Suggest | Google: Web Search | Search Features: Spelling Correction

Google Auto-correcting Queries from Google Operating System notes that Google seems to have moved beyond suggesting spelling corrections and now automatically does them for you. Actually, I think this is the stemming feature kicking in. However, it highlights that it's useful for search engines to tell you exactly what they've modified, if they do so. Years ago, Google would automatically change your spelling if it found no matches for what you looked for. That annoyed me, to the point I pushed for it to change in 2002. It annoyed several others in the search and research fields. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Search Features: Query Refinement | Search Features: Spelling Correction