Making Google Universal Search (Sort Of) Work Like Ask3D

Jul 6, 2007 at 7:05am ET by Danny Sullivan

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 Greasemonkey script.

Encyclopedic Google from Google Operating System explains the Google Extra script more and how it removes Google’s ad column on the right-hand side to insert results from images, video, Wikipedia and Dictionary.com.

Don’t have the script but like the idea? Searchmash is Google’s test site where you get regular Google results in the main column and images, blogs, video, Wikipedia and other results on the right. When it works, that is. I kept getting a "Oops, we’re busy right now! Please try again later" when I tried it today.

By the way, Guide To Googles Universal Search has Manoj Jasra providing a round-up of various articles on how Google’s Universal Search works from resources across the web. So check it out, if you want to know more. Included is our own Google 2.0: Google Universal Search tutorial, and earlier this week, our Search Illustrated column has a great Google’s Universal Search Explained article that put the concept of Universal Search in an easy-to-digest pictures.

Also see our Google: Universal Search category for continuing coverage of Universal Search from us.

Danny Sullivan is editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land. He’s a widely cited authority on search engines and search marketing issues who has covered the space since 1996. Danny also oversees Search Engine Land’s SMX: Search Marketing Expo conference series, maintains a personal blog called Daggle and microblogs on Twitter as @dannysullivan.

See more articles by Danny Sullivan >

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