Google: We Removed Instant Previews Over Low Usage From Searchers

Yesterday we reported that Google changed how you access the cached, similar and share links within the search results by adding a new green down arrow next to the search snippet’s URL.

We asked, where did the Instant Previews go that launched on November 9, 2010 with a huge amount of excitement from Google. Google even said that the instant previews resulted in searchers being “5% more likely to be satisfied with the results they click.”

Well, that is now gone because searchers apparently did not use the feature.

A Google spokesperson told us a blanket statement, “we’re constantly making changes to the layout and features of the search results page.” Yes they are, but why did they remove Instant Previews? The real reason, as I discovered in a Google help thread, is because searchers did not use it.

Google’s Jessica from the forums said:

As we’ve streamlined the results page, we’ve had to remove certain features, such as Instant Previews.

Instant previews saw very low usage by our users, and we’ve decided to focus on streamlining the page to benefit more users.

Related Entries:

• Google Adds Green Arrows To View Cache, Similar Pages & To Share Results On Google+
• Where Did Cached Pages Go On Google?
• Google Instant Previews Via Mouse Over
• Google Launches Instant Previews
• Google Tests Smooth Animated Instant Previews Effect
• Google Instant Preview: A Game-Changer For Landing Pages
• New Google Tool Lets You Preview Instant Previews In Webmaster Tools
• Google Instant Preview Ads Fully Launched For Search Ads
• Google Adds Video Instant Previews To Some Results
• Google’s “Instant Previews” Now On iOS (iPhone/iPad) Browser
• Google Makes Mobile Instant Previews Official
• Flash Support For Google Instant Previews