Google on the 16th of May announced the launch of “Universal Search” on their official blog, http://googleblog.blogspot.com. Universal Search is a combination of all of Google’s search offerings (Google Images, Video, Local, Blog, & News), displayed together within the natural search results. Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experiences at Google commented on the launch, saying Google “want to help you find the very best answer, even if you do not know where to look”.
This is not the first time that Google has displayed results from their other search offerings within the natural search results - Google often display Image or Local results at the top of a results page to compliment the natural listings.
However, it is the first time that Google has embedded these results within the natural listings, rather than at the top of the search results page. As Mayer explains, “with universal search, we’re attempting to break down the walls that traditionally separated our various search properties and integrate the vast amounts of information available into one simple set of search results”.
Nilhan Jayasinghe, Head of Search at Spannerworks, feels this is a good step, especially with regards to the introduction of Google News content within the natural listings, although questions remain as to how this content will be chosen. For brands it is even more important to own the content available to all Google services.
Universal Search is being rolled out on Google.com but only for searches in English. It will gradually filter across their other domains in the forthcoming weeks.
More information about Universal Search can be found here;
Official Google Blog - http://googleblog.blogspot.com/
Search Engine Land - http://searchengineland.com/070516-143312.php
**Update**
MSN are also testing a search engine that combines searches from all MSN search offerings (MSN Images, News and Local). This search engine is currently being called “Imagine Live Search”. Yahoo and ASK also have their own offering called Yahoo(Alpha) and Ask X respectively.
Imagine Live Search - http://search.imagine-live.com/
Yahoo (Alpha) - http://au.alpha.yahoo.com/
Ask X - http://www.ask.com/?ax=5
Search Engine Land Article - http://searchengineland.com/070517-082111.php
