Search Sense

I have just noticed Google.co.uk is testing green backgrounds above and below the search results. This test seems to be happening only on a very limited number of datacentres. I managed to reproduce this on 66.249.93.99 (+2).

It looks like Google is trying out something new again and is testing it only locally. They have always been tweaking the layout and colours to make the Search Engine Landing Pages (SERPs) clearer and easier to use. In the past few years they have tested and implemented different ideas. I have always been under the impression the main 2 reasons were to improve the user experience and generate more visibility for the paid ads.

At first sight I thought the green backgrounds looked ugly and even tacky. However on a second look with my Search Engine Marketing head on, the premium placement ads stand out significantly more. Also my eyes are constantly dragged towards the top green bar which means I’m focusing on the premium listings and not lower listed organic results. As a result I feel more likely to click on the top results - paid and natural as well. If there are no premium ads (screen shot 1) I am tempted to click either on the first natural listing or the first AdWords ad on the right.

(click the images twice to view)

A SERP with three premium listings has a similar effect. My eyes are constantly coming back to the green bar and therefore all the top ads attract more attention.

Even though I personally do not like the green backgrounds I believe Google have come up with a design which will improve the click through rate for the premium and top organic listings.

I have also noticed that Google have added green backgrounds for premium ads on Google Directory SERPs but since I never use this I can’t tell how long this has been in place. This directory design seems to be rolled out to all datacentres. Unlike the SERP design mentioned previously I seem to be somewhat blind to the premium paid results. I think this is because the green backgrounds seem to blend with one another unlike the green/yellow combination which is much more compelling.

Google.com has recently been reported to be testing nearly white background for the premium placement AdWords ads. Rustybrick comments on Google Blending Ads More Into Organic Results.

’speling games online’ >200 searches per month

Garett Rogers of ZDNet has discovered a new Google interface likely designed for mobile. As most mobile studies reveal the reluctance of users to enter long search queries, generally limiting to just one or two words, the new interface provides a logical way forward. At least for location based queries where it is easier to disambiguate and provide a navigational structure for discovering local information.

You can have a play with the interface here http://www.google.com/m/lcb

And here’s a sequence I tried out earlier starting with a search for ‘Brighton’

Where once the only indication of search volume on a particular keyterm was a little green bar with 6 positions; 0 for hardly any search volume, 1 for a bit more search volume and 5 for freakin’ loads of search volume; the Google Adwords Keyword Tool now gives an indication of search volume on 0 to 100 scale. That’s a granularity increase of almost 16 times for the numerically obsessed!

According to Readwriteweb this may be the start of the mighty Google allowing much more access to its vast array of data-banks (highly anonomised, of course).

Perhaps I should be fearing my job? A good proportion of what I do is taking the tiny spotlights into the void that is the internet, compiling them, normalising them with data that I know is accurate and then visualising that in a way that reveals insight - data-mashing if you like. If really granular, accurate information is readily available; perhaps there won’t be a place for my team and I at ICrossing UK?

I actually don’t think this true. In fact, I think it’s exciting and a great source of opportunity. If we can take really good information from different digital marketing functions and help to give consumers what they want, when they want it then we, our clients, and most importantly, the user will benefit. Search informs website build which informs social media strategy which informs display advertising and vice versa and ad finitum….

Take a look at Swivel to see how interesting and useful insight can come out of making the data openly accessible.

Google’s latest innovations in the way it displays search results in its natural listings has huge implications for user experience and the way we create websites.

‘Sitelinks’ emerged late last year. They are the links that appear under the number 1 search listing that enable you to click directly on a main navigational link that resides on the destination site - think of them as shortcuts. OK, so this helps us get from A-B better and extends the brand’s success at capturing search real estate - effectively pushing other sites lower down the results page.

This example for Woolworths illustrates the natural search navigation at work:

A good overview of Sitelinks can be found on the Google Webmastercentral blog here.

More recently Google has started presenting a ’secondary search’ box within the natural results. This allows people to search all pages that Google has from a site without leaving the search engine. Which means that the much of the huge usability investment you may have made can be by-passed in a click…

The implications are more clear than ever. Search friendly site design means taking into account the whole user journey, from search through to action. This extends the idea of usability from optimising e.g. a shopping cart process into the way people navigate through brand networks.

Now x this by every device and interface Google will interact with people in 3 years time. Wow.

Once we accept that we have lost control of the ‘home page’, and that every page on our site can now reside somewhere else before the click,we can start to put search at the heart of our creative planning. not an original idea, but one that I will keep repeating until someone tells me I am insane, and then I will not believe them.