Google Search Experiments

Technology » Internet » Websites » Google - 07/10/2007

It's well known that Google is always experimenting with new features aimed at improving the search experience. Lately they published a page that gives to users the ability to test some of Google's experiments. Currently you can try four of their experiments and even use them in your default search page!

Let's see those experiments:

Alternate views for search results

See results on a timeline, map, or in context of other information types. With these views, Google's technology extracts key dates, locations, measurements, and more from select search results so you can view the information in a different dimension.

Timeline and map views work best for searches related to people, companies, events and places. Info view shows all the data found for each result, to help you select the best choice.

Try out one of these queries View on a timeline: thomas jefferson civil rights movement nanotechnology View on a map: pga tours olympics bioinformatics conferences View additional info: space exploration cars koalas

Keyboard shortcuts

Navigate search results quickly and easily, minimizing use of your mouse. Current keyboard shortcuts include:

Key	Action
J	Selects the next result.
K	Selects the previous result.
O	Opens the selected result.
<Enter>	Opens the selected result.
/	Puts the cursor in the search box.
<Esc>	Removes the cursor from the search box.

Try out this query: rattlesnake

Left-hand search navigation

Search deeper in a particular type of content—patents, products or news, for example. Google searches across all kinds of content, then ranks results by relevance.

If you want to see additional results of a particular content type, just click a link in the left-hand search navigation.

You can also refine your results by clicking on related search terms.

Try out one of these queries: ipod, beach, airplanes

Right-hand contextual search navigation

Similar to the left-hand search navigation, right-hand contextual search navigation allows you to search deeper in a particular type of content or to search related terms—but from the right side of the page.

Try out one of these queries: downtown los angeles, python, dancing

Google Experimental Search can be found here.

Comments

• Very nice features! I will try out soon....well, right away!
  Cheers,
  Maarten
  By: Maarten Kooiker @ 08/10/2007