Google Tweaks Search Pages
If you’re a regular Google user, you might have been served up a different version of the Google search page recently. Google has been tweaking its user interface, to make it easier for people to find the information they’re looking for, and testing it with random appearances.
Visual changes of the latest Google search engine update include a brighter logo, a more emphasised search box, and bold text in the search field.
The functional changes are intended to allow users to fine tune their search results, and the most obvious addition appears on the left of your search results, with a set of tools designed to help you filter your search results, without altering your search terms.
New Search Tools
By default, the displayed tools are the ones which Google considers most relevant to your query, while the full range of sorting tools is available by clicking the “More” link on the left, just below the displayed tools.
As you can see in the screenshots below, these tools allow you to refine your search to display only image results, video results, map results or news results. In addition, you could look for your search terms on blogs, in books, updates and ongoing discussions. Below these tools, you’ll be able to access the other search options, such as filtering by date.
Google has been testing versions of these tools for some years already, but it looks like they’re finally set to add them as a permanent visible part of their search page.
In the first screenshot, you’ll see that the tools Google recommends to refine a search for “search engine optimisation” are blogs and videos. In their estimation, you’ll probably find your most relevant information by sorting your results by one of those criteria.
In the second screenshot, you’ll see the additional options that are available for sorting your results, once you’ve clicked on the “More” button, below the recommended sorting tools.
The tools and options Google suggests will differ, according to what you’re searching for.
