Google search features - you should use

Wed Jun 17 00:02:00 IST 2009, by Abhishek Mehta

Google is an essential element when it comes to the basic composition of the netizens and the word Googling has found its place in our language dictionaries. It is a Cliché but Google pulls the highest Internet traffic in the world and more then 60% of web searches worldwide are performed using this search engine. So, logically no new search engine is going to walkover this supremacy of Google anytime sooner.

This effectively means that you and me should keep on becoming better at using this engine, as its life cycle is not getting shorter. This latest blog of mine is for the basic Google user who dig this engine everyday to find information. Better Search results are as good as better experience and vice versa. Keeping this in mind Google is continuously launching enhanced features on result pages to make web searching a better experience. Here are the Top 3 features for everyone and are as basic as seeing results on search page.

Feature 1: Google SearchWiki

Google has undertaken a mass scale, collaborative search effort called "Google SearchWiki". SearchWiki is a way of customizing and personalizing your search results. You can re-rank, delete, add, and comment on every single result, which Google throws at you. This can be done only if you have a Google account and are logged into it. Having Google account does not mean getting into gmail, just create a passport with Google with any email address. You will always see a "sign in" option on any Google web search page (Just look for it at the right top).

If you liked a search result more then others, move it to the top of result page by clicking on up-arrow button appearing next to the result url, or remove it if you do not want to see it again. These changes will persist in your account and will always reappear in your favored way (if logged in). One can also enter a new result (url) in his favored list even if it is not appearing in the result list. This can be done by going to the bottom of the result page and then clicking on the link saying, "Add result"

You can also leave a comment on the selected result for your own future reference but make sure you should not type in personal data, as these comments (not the ranking) will be made public to the other users. Webmasters do not have to worry about SearchWiki, as individual rankings do not affect overall rankings of the pages with respect to the query fired.

Feature 2: Google Search Filters "Show Options..."

Before this topic I must inform you that this is not about "Advanced Search" option. These are the filters, which you can apply to your results. If a user is logged into his Google account then he/she can see more filtering options otherwise basic ones are available. Google started to provide these filters beginning May 2009. See the Image to know more about its location.

Once you have enabled the "Show Options..." your result page split in the way as its shown in the image to the right. Here you can filter your results based on 4 major categories. First filter is named "All results" which deals with the type of results and you can narrow down your results to reviews, forums and videos. Second filter is called "Any Time" and in this you can narrow down your results based on the date when they were found. Range of this filter is from "Right now" to Day to Week and Year, strangely enough month option is missing. The third filter mainly deals with preview of the results. On selection from this category you can preview the images and more text snapshot of the results. Most important filter and the most interesting one for me is the fourth category, which is named "Standard View".

"Standard View" filter is more about doing result mining and for serious web searchers. It has 3 main sub options but very browser specific. Some of them do not show up in Internet explorer right now, but they all work in fire fox. First option is called "related searches". "Related searches" are the keyword suggestions based on the input query you have fired. More description of this feature is discussed as third Google feature of this blog. Second option available under this filter is called "Wonder wheel". This feature is graphical representation of "related search" in a Wagon Wheel format. Navigation of results becomes easier as you select one query over other. Third and the most important option under this category of "Standard View" is called Timeline. Timeline option helps you to segregate the results based on the time when the results were found. Say if I searched for "Cricket World Cup" this option will help me to separate results from 2003 world cup to 2007 and 2011. This is the most powerful tool as a filter, however its accuracy is still under question. But better to have this filter and see it evolve over the time rather than not having it at all.

These filters can work together and each of the four filters can have one sub option selected at a time. Which means I can look for results of my query only in reviews, happening today and showing me images from the result page with related searches on. Once "Show Options" are activated selecting "Hide Options" can deactivate them.

Feature 3: Google Semantic Query Suggestion

Google provides yet another interesting and basic feature on result pages, called "Searches related to". Those who have never seen this feature can blame it on the positioning, which is at bottom of the page. This is a keyword modifier that varies the provided keywords and gives new semantic suggestions for the same. To use this feature you do not have to be logged in Google account. Query suggestion for single/compound words were already in place but in March 2009 Company has taken a semantic approach: on phrases (more...).

I did a Positive test with - Glaciers melting in Himalayas - as a non-quoted single phrase in the search box and the alternate query suggestions, which came out, were certainly interesting. What especially caught my eye were two results: Global warming Himalayas and other one was climate change Himalayas (see Image). Generating the options of "global warming" and "climate change" from "Glaciers melting" is certainly a semantic step forward. Many more semantic suggestions are possible, based on Polysemy and Synonimity but let us wait and watch till Google matures this technology. Current approach of Google does not do a good job once you put two/three phrases, or you put something, which can lead to multiple phrases.

Though launching search engines has become fashion these days (more...) but Google is not only an iron horse but also a vanguard when it comes to adding interesting features to the searches. Catching up with Google for any search engine is not just difficult but seems unlikely in near future. So, it seems logical, if we users also start making our search experience with Google a better one by starting with these features.

Posted at 12:02AM Jun 17, 2009 by ABhi in Trends  |  Comments[3]