Google Tests Icon for Smartphone-Optimized Results

A Google experiment shows a special icon next to smartphone-optimized search results. Obviously, the icon is only displayed when searching from smartphones.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0LtpM9GcVON_DKtRL9UePEcqn1NJExCtHDKV6XbRgazeAfBr1Yn78YLdf7uGW3YNaTy-lt6illcSPHAFInoScSXJbi8MaWpLmsNijRIuHREmloZbx1nVOyjrgHuU4SxZNRSfJ9fAuh7z/s1600/google-mobile-serp-icon.png" /></div><br />Back in 2012, Google ran <a href="https://www.seroundtable.com/google-smartphone-icon-15532.html">a similar experiment</a>, but it never became a regular feature.<br /><br />Google has <a href="https://developers.google.com/webmasters/smartphone-sites/">a few articles</a> about building smartphone-optimized sites. Google supports three different configurations: responsive design (same code, same URL - Google's recommended configuration), dynamic serving (different code, same URL) and separate mobile sites (different code, different URL).<br /><br />{ Thanks, <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101452691700898909870">Herin Maru</a>. }

Google Tests Icon for Smartphone-Optimized Results

A Google experiment shows a special icon next to smartphone-optimized search results. Obviously, the icon is only displayed when searching f...

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Mobile IE Doesn't Show Google Suggestions

If you've changed the search provider to Google in Internet Explorer for Windows Phone and you're wondering why search suggestions aren't that great, there's an explanation: Internet Explorer shows suggestions from Bing even if you're using Google.<br /><br />Let's say I type in the address bar: "the best way to". Here are the suggestions:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ww7aYG50bP16BKct0UgLX7RUADWuZbkxEkXOBDycI24lCeBjIKF1GXNhujiDEF9MFNVuoat1mjmfVm0bqgwAmX3Fio2fkOvyAt1hTF0sCDdik7azL0owmfdG-i2U0AyolavoI8vKpmnI/s1600/windows-phone-bing-suggestions.jpg" /></div><br />And here are Google's suggestions:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNufGTDmuZs7BxIFFrXz2aew-9D_AFZhKiF8NuV2_KNxqoi2FmxaWFz30Xddh4IInx-XWN-lfocQASg0CKJN_h7DcWXQb9xbXAk-8zpQoRMFAOh5V-v0oyGOi3DixP2mvKLoSem2zcENx9/s1600/windows-phone-google-suggestions.jpg" /></div><br />If you go to IE's advanced settings, you'll notice that you can enable or disable "get suggestions from Bing as I type". To get Google's suggestions, you can go to google.com, install Google's app for Windows Phone or install a different browser.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eHP7Nb22upX892ZYkYWZHpIi_MSoLPp7MlG0U7DjVYtInq4cioVJlr1P_pYiUek7b_LoWc1lpzgok3poKUlXIb5JAJ-r8p-mDhNcF60TigbrTyCwLi23s0J-8bZRM3Rpb84080Awn8JJ/s1600/windows-phone-ie-settings.jpg" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zRQX8q7MQLFaYcn0kVmCiZi7iwxw7WGxJDvD6TKwcVYC-vrLWJAVnGsr4hzKUWfXBWOV1eElUOCD-ofltT_VwirG70_YrZlGuGnZzqBeEZiGv6ZToo0-AEcT61Cwp_2RbpTR-QXuNHhA/s1600/windows-phone-ie-settings-2.jpg" /></div><br />So why would Microsoft show Bing suggestions if you've changed your search provider to Google? Maybe it's an excuse for Microsoft to send all your queries and partial queries to Bing, so that it can improve its search engine.<br /><br /><b>Update</b>. Hadrien Zero-Un has an explanation in the comments: "Internet Explorer for Windows Phone can't have Google as a search engine. BUT Nokia modified the browser to allow the change of the search [engine]."

Mobile IE Doesn't Show Google Suggestions

If you've changed the search provider to Google in Internet Explorer for Windows Phone and you're wondering why search suggestions a...

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Google Structured Snippets

A few weeks ago, I noticed that <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2014/09/inline-facts-next-to-google-search.html">Google shows facts</a> next to some Wikipedia results. This feature is called <a href="http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2014/09/introducing-structured-snippets-now.html">Structured Snippets</a> and it's not limited to Wikipedia results.<br /><br />"Structured Snippets is a new feature that incorporates facts into individual result snippets in Web Search. As seen in the example below, interesting and relevant information is extracted from a page and displayed as part of the snippet for the query [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=nikon+d7100">nikon d7100</a>]," informs Google.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XeGGRLDjlLh6GQSuEHoMphgCgABkDQ3yU_v9DSO7LBF_rtFPH4hEzCn07pWh_TLb1Ck5qAUg3lgFtubLgQREv-n4-2wJ1qej5EAjKDAd2x92KrjtvnFsN64Ob9m2lIXNbI94ahxkqv4l/s1600/structured-snippets.png" /></div><br />"Structured Snippets is the latest collaboration between Google Research and the Web Search team employing that data to seamlessly provide the most relevant information to the user. We use machine learning techniques to distinguish data tables on the Web from uninteresting tables, e.g., tables used for formatting web pages. We also have additional algorithms to determine quality and relevance that we use to display up to four highly ranked facts from those data tables," mentions <a href="http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2014/09/introducing-structured-snippets-now.html">the Google Research blog</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Z7tNbb8ySuyQ9tjb7lydP-ewpOJzdAK5Ac0fg32LI0PCvKuM5MgDD_HfOgMGKCspufEoxyaLrYPZP3C9uitn6yZ3NggwarWW3lQFlwZHpGwxUq0XoHIrxPKZ9PS9WKOOiGQOXcj29Jlk/s1600/structured-snippets-2.png" /></div><br />You don't need special formatting: Google extracts information from existing tables. It's interesting to notice that Google has always used tables from web pages to extract useful data. <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/03/google-sets-search-engine-for-lists.html">Google Sets</a>, one of the earliest Google Labs services, used lists and tables from web pages to generate lists of related terms. Google also built <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/05/google-table-search.html">a search engine for tables</a> and shows data from tables in <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2014/06/tables-in-google-knowledge-graph-cards.html">cards</a> and <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2011/11/table-snippets-in-google-search.html">snippets</a>.

Google Structured Snippets

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Google shows facts next to some Wikipedia results. This feature is called Structured Snippets and it's...

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Obscure Google Maps Results

When you add "google maps" or "map" to a Google query related to a location, it's likely that you'll see a Google Maps card. For example, searching for [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=google+maps+bop">google maps bop</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=map+bop">map bop</a>] or [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=bop+map">bop map</a>] returns a map for the Bouar Airport (BOP) from the Central African Republic.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLX6I1Dpxnbf4iddwSdX3URYIcFxAPvAyEi7_5lNNROrK_fjQMQjmel5sN9ePV3vcYRljrbVXPsDWKraovMTvOrmQralO7q_VJIMLCsx8X_AaF4TI_KFegf9-_1zMBN0LlVWd5J9MnS86d/s1600/map-bop.png" /></div><br />Sometimes this feature doesn't work very well. I searched for [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=google%20maps%20location%20history">google maps location history</a>] and Google returned this map for Location History Collection, a museum from Hungary that appears to be permanently closed. It's obvious that the Google Maps Location History page is more important and should be displayed first.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAkLj1Ytd7mE_Pi2Dgt4HmCwZcWAiil5SAEvUFaZIeZyBB2pwhH-U-hRPUQl8wMI2voOaWBLO65rQ9OZCdWF1w0yOS6ws1yzQif7M6A2229Bz4qXyZIlOEB9pnCyIowSqXOQVg5bJvRS5/s1600/google-location-history.png" /></div><br />What about [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=google+maps+2014">google maps 2014</a>]?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZagJaoTTebXnIDMpSJr2x6W8JbMXydBK8d-K6boQ50bdn88zFh3ZRHpXR4rf1h7UMjIHC-bMx8Z2D8yn86sAp1aO6MP9R9Txxxu51Inf4a4_wprWSZORr03XW6Fmf8khge7F2JUSkLkLc/s1600/google-maps-result-2014.png" /></div><br />And it's not just about Hungary.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-Xq43HphJH_hWBzg6jEOmvNCRVNmVukkRKVzv0tWb1wZWIv8_i0SIAVKZ6DeEBlSQSBmnBLHMFjJTMXMK7ffqQRiFJBCjQ7Ir4kt1n7l_URaCH6FeuS9S5bMwitsfLPA21L5bNmnBpBT/s1600/google-maps-results-2012.png" /></div><br />There's even a map for Street View:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha08TA2x5o_hScziqzoCkRKDKaNnIkhMeyvZQcXbdsvegci_5HoG71pOPEmV2R7NJqoA-KzBMeQDvYugjUvSoMvzrMySC6fI1Q95XmgLk9RJyWbzJ2pSdE3clzOYLlpc5s2XsCfEmtlhNV/s1600/google-maps-result-street-view.png" /></div><br />And maps for "distance" and "navigation":<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbP6C-V-6BN6UhxpqkZkTMPcz8Mq3Q7nfr1cCWIUAn92b4xHCSQlwRX853CDVehKe8-hSTaGxSexzRg65lKOOhbptQIe2JbjiPOdD1ooKEy5eBJnoAvyfvDbzCncO-1FUSeP6Z2wCcL-a/s1600/google-maps-results-distance.png" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iJ2Bm73peah6ZfYCGXoIk4hrbqE7lE4re5YkBaGeo_EHgZj00Elx5qpBk7Z_7Tg4hj7PE5uaw9B4qTCj3MyYNJ4LMH0GWQEh9PFUdPstrPbHwAzaubZLmYx4eQ3T71eYE8QdB2zBqsQN/s1600/google-maps-navigation.png" /></div><br />Even Larry Page has a Google Maps card.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7YCoe6rc5HaKJiNdHZL0va46fwQLmivPp1ZuFsixYZTwzV-BkEk7M_1dUC-S4mCjGjKpqPdi7jHnqgDOB0DpSuN1Q2d50G6xMrcaPagNQvh06gk6ZEETsIEtEZ4wk7FzqyKViaYofv9X/s1600/google-maps-results-larry-page.png" /></div><br />Android too.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhcDA7zHxVmbv83QgocHS9lYG5wpVT1ervBWT8LscVJ2FDFWkAm4kawebzCqM7tED-wzKOAOGXsQFxTG3QVLUMPaTNvJB2gVo5vwPFLiV7DYvU-vSHVTSbthbE6DiIkoVa1cdqEjzpH8O/s1600/google-maps-results-android.png" /></div>

Obscure Google Maps Results

When you add "google maps" or "map" to a Google query related to a location, it's likely that you'll see a Googl...

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Updated Dictionary Card in Google Search

Google updated the <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/08/google-updates-dictionary-onebox.html">dictionary card</a> and it now includes a message next to the big arrow at the bottom: "<i>Translations, word origin, and more definitions</i>". Probably many users didn't realize that the card can be expanded to show even more definitions and some additional information.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZsHZtCsGgOXNgp4zL2alTeILvea05mes6yq16Qi6ma3WpHM84OB3proKWakCdzHSSIQUmh7B6cwcqmLrdrj0HdmzEi4krdCT4yVUvCcis6o1PhRHrV_RoMi8JY3DqEYzaqGj1vA5Bxgl/s1600/definition-box.png" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmCuSXtYXWjtnBseSDIv2jcgOPbLywTWhtx2ozSPxHr7oEzvTzc6FwyIX89rOVA3DUBTrpoFdaw75EMzO8HSb3-n3fqyKN5rXrb5kMfizYPB0386qeoWoQjdrOftR3TD5mF-vTC6-WYqW/s1600/decoy+-+Google+Search.png" /></div>

Updated Dictionary Card in Google Search

Google updated the dictionary card and it now includes a message next to the big arrow at the bottom: " Translations, word origin, and...

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Quick Unit Conversion in Google Search

Here's a simple way to use Google's unit conversion feature, while typing shorter queries. Instead of searching Google for [6 lbs to kg], you can use [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=6+lbs+=">6 lbs =</a>]. Just add the equal sign to the value you want to convert and Google will use the right measurement unit most of the time.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPodAk-a6Xr-jKCaVRQxjILVRL3NeCckaBC5Evg_WamCIsOkixSRYD4Sdg6hvQdhWZ1dcyjCFYv3rQQHoblGkTsDwiXj9SDtvVpEJsQ9c8N82iMNLftOx-tlBlL0AYB62slZ2H9AwOcm6J/s1600/google-unit-conversion.png" /></div><br />Here's another example: [68 f =]. The query is shorter than [68 f to c] or [6 fahrenheit to celsius]. Unfortunately, [20 c =] doesn't convert temperature, since c is the speed of light, so you'll have to use [20 c to f].<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nO7SlWN0ZO3beW8l-2QS2hsojRUMirdMtZJIO0zSjXMWSxvtRO-KJ8Oaw8Qlr4Fa-FrDocHiL-Mm4vCjR3oYk4Croapcf7D0KWZ2OZUOoQysQKqzGHFQTia8VW2FDEUuj4cpxZTQVSdL/s1600/google-unit-conversion-2.png" /></div><br />You can use Google's dropdown to pick other measurement units or you can edit the value and the result will change as yo type. <br /><br />This trick also works in Chrome's omnibox, Firefox's search box, Safari's address bar:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXYhfRbIoeJz_CRnVeWoZkg56nutc_jTHsGDuU9xL-LeT9TOboomlODicG1oWkD_gDmwNDGzQGL1ZrwBYm3JYzshQMT2Ls-373WknWe448AoXkeh1FVKET0mXik5rgBBEdRtHNKKYIm2f/s1600/chrome-unit-conversion.png" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92iFfpYniU3rRdA8apvNc-pecDIn9WldV5OLMI_huhAc1kQ2bNLCb6RSewsnVNGLd0q13h51Wm55FXMzEEQbjseXLr0k9acq7vbnr5wLFQub7fdjYRSikim8Eb2cuknh49cJoSt9DLvyp/s1600/safari-unit-conversion.png" /></div>

Quick Unit Conversion in Google Search

Here's a simple way to use Google's unit conversion feature, while typing shorter queries. Instead of searching Google for [6 lbs to...

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"In the News" Google Search Card

Google added a new search card for news-related searches. It's display in the right sidebar and it doesn't replace the list of Google News results. For example, when searching for [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=jill+duggar">Jill Duggar</a>], Google shows a thumbnail, a short summary ("<i>Jill Duggar and her new husband, Derick Dillard, are expecting their first child</i>"), a link to a news article and a list of related searches.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqwQpkT1fO0hcURjc3Nix-rIdSYcj8jvud221Dinn_pjRKOI81EixMUU3zfzqM7bDKiqYRaT3EzhsJEwr41vbm1NyEw4_oq_Cse9uBDmw52f-knIEz_Mb5HipnFvUAog7Wnzf0Y9fCAfH/s1600/in-the-news.png" /></div><br />The new card seems to be displayed for some people in the news, but only if they don't have their own Knowledge Graph cards with information from sites like Wikipedia. It's probably just an experiment, since it's rarely displayed.<br /><br />{ via <a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-knowledge-graph-now-news-box-203073">Search Engine Land</a> }

"In the News" Google Search Card

Google added a new search card for news-related searches. It's display in the right sidebar and it doesn't replace the list of Googl...

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Inline Facts Next to Google Search Results

Google now shows a list of facts next to some Wikipedia results. Knowledge Graph data extracted from Wikipedia is now placed below the snippets. <br /><br />For example, when searching for [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=duchy+of+amalfi">duchy of Amalfi]</a>, Google shows some information about Amalfi, a town in the province of Salerno and the former capital of the Duchy of Amalfi.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0pEr86Oz16x1Ofd-dpSHUYdW7pGets_apVXLcU2akmX06bzGjh6slVLEXC4W-HdIcA5_vLZep70E723lUOpzO8rjgFFxAar-gzZ_U7x89tKHqLrkjCsIiKR31XvrIU_emhxJEIT-uH7n/s1600/amalfi-annotations.png" /></div><br />When searching for [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=king+of+rome">king of Rome</a>], Google shows the name of the last king and the year when the monarchy ended.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTId3mlhnYwol-7bpHWGInaBxy_272EaMwPJTvm_pvjTy2gB6v9mETrJ5BvkGcEF2ysXPNndLBYpQMFwJYXbYFhuuzWuRj73aR6hH7vg-L6i1JNntS7OeFSRXzMM6H9tEngkbaLpod6CY/s1600/king-of-rome.png" /></div><br />Some of the facts aren't very useful or are taken out of context. For example, Google shows "President: Dwight D. Eisenhower" next to the Wikipedia result for Richard Nixon, without mentioning that Nixon was vice president during the Eisenhower administration.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY2ns0mPAMzM1ZQUe-NQH_M4oMfnEDuYo0IpI7VcnjctiNq0SRCE3Q_fTC8u7VoueS1VShbjxBIsjI-2EtxaovlHUAp9yerT_J5Mj_xq5hLJLv9Pcybukvh7HEVGyVTvWzUnj0m9OQ39A/s1600/nixon-facts.png" /></div>

Inline Facts Next to Google Search Results

Google now shows a list of facts next to some Wikipedia results. Knowledge Graph data extracted from Wikipedia is now placed below the snipp...

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Google Knowledge Graph Shows Forms of Government

Do you want to learn more about the forms of government from various countries? Search Google for "government of [country]" and Google will show if the country is a constitutional monarchy, constitutional republic, federal republic, unitary state, parliamentary republic, non-partisan democracy, military dictatorship.<br /><br />Here's an example for [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=government%20of%20tuvalu">government of tuvalu</a>]<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAdj1DO_0ra9hMetTwDZ2nch0NOVW3eqJ5nW5qAfFPg4T_I-0KL_sjO7AZpAtST-qWv16XpJmgch9Xl-sF3uIoVa8Y6rP633PR9canKhONlRfcmNimljrmpUBWFbZX2zwtuOdoA6ZtvT-/s1600/google-government-tuvalu.png" /></div><br />Click one of the forms of government and Google will display more information. For example, Tuvalu, a small island in the Pacific Ocean, is a nonpartisan democracy, which means that Tuvalu has no political parties. It's also a constitutional monarchy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAaxou_z_xmxavxQQmwHOiY-o2mzhspf2Ve5w8WLA8ECmlJB2VHvO0A8-fZWKukxDaRvM1NgPG3E8S19cYp8UXez7G5gjKzZQEriQnn0bj5q1wrNkYfqErz7BrzTMZkAZ1IDYMOcP7Xxb/s1600/google-government-tuvalu-2.png" /></div><br />Germany is a federal republic, which means it's a federation of states with a republican form of government.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0Fncb6hi1LfDSUg4Sum754ZCG5v2uL0Uds4rEmhN-8cu6hdv6e9187tQIF5gA4eqEnA1lWyFylAO-p76Od9EC2gbtxE-tOIRx8DSKpj7xv6rsnz0GZkMK2VSBafPgbN2d5wC8hFNbgpH/s1600/google-government-germany.png" /></div><br />Switzerland is also a federal republic, but it's the only country in the world that's a direct democracy and has a directorial system. "Switzerland is the closest state in the world to a direct democracy. For any change in the constitution, a referendum is mandatory (mandatory referendum); for any change in a law, a referendum can be requested (optional referendum)," <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Switzerland">explains Wikipedia</a>. Switzerland is also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directorial_system">a directorial republic</a>, "a country ruled by a college of several people who jointly exercise the powers of a head of state or a head of government". <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSe2O1hW0pW-VBYZM7Du1Q7SyLJBLQ4A-VLZAMTNd8HzXlxXavcGPu1p2IFFGc9KZQaxspqsOkt0eyan_8cghjTu1doUgM0SarEnBS4E242mOp3Wd9JB8VXbLKfA9H3GYI-F9WXFU_eTWP/s1600/google-government-switzerland.png" /></div><br />{ Thanks, <a href="https://plus.google.com/+HerinMaru/">Herin Maru</a>. }

Google Knowledge Graph Shows Forms of Government

Do you want to learn more about the forms of government from various countries? Search Google for "government of [country]" and Go...

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Google Removes Private Search Option

Speaking of advanced search features, here's a screenshot from April 2013 that shows Google's search filter menu. Only 4 out of the 9 features are still available: "visited pages", "not yet visited pages", "reading level" and "verbatim". The dictionary feature has been replaced with an improved dictionary card, while the other features have been removed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgP1L6VNga2LYvOROLgpmLcZdXmCCbgUlLPak-NB7O0dsqvD9gqB4CrgKJBKQvpouvY7lCi_NF2CVnMB9w5zg0pTZ48RUQO5DJbYTXtesTBuQoPaomduO1gn_W8hpxSnRF9zVSTx0368A/s1600/google-search-tools-apr-2013.png" /></div><br />Here are the features that are still available:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXNNyqSo3hD5H4y78XRhwQ1Ui-pmjx51xY195SrEcWm_BB_ake48d8HWFsleu9wqSl5nuh4fgLF-zMkgjkSXWH50S93N47fEODm_8fz99Ju_4Cgo38PkBG47rVDUcNttf6cs3k_IrqFnd/s1600/google-filters.png" /></div><br />The latest feature that has been removed allowed you to restrict the results to "private" pages. The "personal"/"private" filter only included "content that was shared with you on Google+ or Gmail", as <a href="https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/142143?hl=en">Google explains</a>. You can hide personal results using the button next to the options dropdown, but you can no longer display only personal results.<br /><br />{ via <a href="https://www.seroundtable.com/google-private-search-bug-19090.html">Search Engine Roundtable</a> }

Google Removes Private Search Option

Speaking of advanced search features, here's a screenshot from April 2013 that shows Google's search filter menu. Only 4 out of the ...

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Google Blog Search Redirects to the Google Homepage

Eventually most of the advanced search features offered by Google will disappear. Most specialized search engines, most search operators, most filters. They aren't used by many people and Google now focuses on other ways to provide answers.<br /><br />Google Blog Search is a specialized search engine for blogs that used to be featured in Google's navigation menu. Google no longer links to the service and one of the only ways to use it was to go to blogsearch.google.com. Now Google redirects the URL to the Google homepage.<br /><br />You can still use this URL: <a href="https://www.google.com/?tbm=blg">https://www.google.com/?tbm=blg</a>, but this is just a workaround and Google will eventually remove it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamj8Fs8BKbMHo7JxCfWpcBm5ziF1uVhF546SDbi_EIoo2HCcwjYLZJaKD_mGRkocXg5kNk1cNSRJUrG8kGd14_X84FKAR-IS6IWvorwDhceN78OJy1ZR9AnRjJQcz7UgnKslrE3oi6BWp/s1600/blog-search.png" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1auVn1R9oHN4Wost1gyIG2Cngxx_INCHCGJ8Pi_T3L1ASEOUfzbrz0nbLbo5WPEJa3WbKsUs61LkIiCezIBYJO2VBws98-baWPPbXpA3ExH1oRA3uHTfgzb0LvnXSTYqM_3uxfpOgcyEX/s1600/blog-search-results.png" /></div><br /><a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-blog-search-now-within-google-news-search-202202">Search Engine Land</a> has incorrectly reported that Google Blog Search is now inside Google News. Actually Google News has a search filter that only shows the blogs from the Google News index. Obviously, not all the blogs are indexed by Google News and Google News only shows results from the past 30 days.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbLa73yQ1hkKklqjkvSUrhWnQffeu74mvt3o_6AJLmFhM6xArgYyZ6H6s5lohkzkb9pAXhJH_7pkWTQ08EjD9uYeU1KzDzKHMPxQaYz6C12LyfbcobvbUm96jmgJW47kukqxBaJw4nm3x/s1600/blog-search-results-in-google-news.png" /></div>

Google Blog Search Redirects to the Google Homepage

Eventually most of the advanced search features offered by Google will disappear. Most specialized search engines, most search operators, mo...

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Google Updates Site Search Box

<a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2014/08/google-tests-new-site-search-box.html">The experimental Google site search box</a> spotted last week is now a regular Google feature. <a href="http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2014/09/improved-sitelinks-search-box.html">Google announced</a> that the improved search box within search results is more prominent and brings autocomplete, as well as integration with the site's search features.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcZ9RiwvPow8gYRZMoSM7vlf4CeaVub3bOKC26h1Z2kdNUGQCnfR-hVD93WFjRuUKaoNrks50jGeh77XWcnL4eCWh5Sh5ZMM_pTUU5JjyuH2vB74C9hjCy1cKlZ4rbOHwUm6ah6SZUmS_/s1600/google-improved-site-search.png" /></div><br />If the site adds <a href="https://developers.google.com/webmasters/richsnippets/sitelinkssearch">some markup</a>, Google could send users to the site's internal search page. Apparently, <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2014/08/google-tests-new-site-search-box.html">Amazon implemented this feature</a> or Google used Amazon's site to test it. <a href="https://developers.google.com/webmasters/richsnippets/sitelinkssearch">This page</a> explains how to add the schema.org markup: "This markup should reference the URL pattern for your site's search queries in the target property of SearchAction. The URL pattern must point to the same domain that hosts the content being searched. It must also include a variable name in braces that is a placeholder for the user's search query."<br /><br />Not all the sites have their own search engine, so Google suggests to create one using <a href="https://developers.google.com/custom-search/">Google Custom Search</a>. It will still use Google Search, but you can customize the search engine, change ranking, search multiple sites and even monetize it.<br /><br />I don't think it's a good idea to send users to the site's internal search page, at least not as a default option. Bing already does this and it's probably useful for sites like Amazon, eBay or YouTube, which provide powerful tools for refining results. For most sites, Google's search feature is better. Now the search box will no longer provide consistent functionality: for some sites, Google will send users to their own search pages, while for other sites, Google will show its own results.<br /><br />Actually, there's a way to tell if Google sends you to a different site when clicking the search box: the message inside the search box is "search site.com" instead of "results from site.com" and the list of suggestions includes an option to show "results for [query]", which sends you to a Google search results page.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Zv7vMX5W9tXNhr_e_pqwZZYnBawObBIB5FmG6tTFxzFi3Cb4rbroHqNN9HOZ4KqJQ2QbqgjqMOQ880ebz4k7DrufoqB4W2qLAWbgoGKs-z9EPYgAiEqVRYSXJwUY_GDLfOb5lmgYvgBE/s1600/google-inline-site-search-suggestions-1.png" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEuf-KECNJeRBtrzQHNTowifho7i5qzzH5JOghBeyU5SVRHgrVKEGexqRwKdxtwmRXzf1TZeGvCndzHWh-sUzpLGb0ta65PPDrxL9vZBtGGBT-VVMBv-0O2REaibEux0Ma6VSlm3qWB3p/s1600/google-inline-site-search-suggestions-2.png" /></div>

Google Updates Site Search Box

The experimental Google site search box spotted last week is now a regular Google feature. Google announced that the improved search box w...

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Google Tests New Site Search Box

For navigational searches like [amazon], [white house] or [stanford], Google displays a search box that lets you search the top search result. Google now tests a completely new site search box. The updated search box is bigger, it's placed below the top search result and Google shows a list of suggestions when you type the query.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Zv7vMX5W9tXNhr_e_pqwZZYnBawObBIB5FmG6tTFxzFi3Cb4rbroHqNN9HOZ4KqJQ2QbqgjqMOQ880ebz4k7DrufoqB4W2qLAWbgoGKs-z9EPYgAiEqVRYSXJwUY_GDLfOb5lmgYvgBE/s1600/google-inline-site-search-suggestions-1.png" /></div><br />For Amazon, Google makes an exception and uses Amazon's internal search, instead of Google Search. Let's say you start typing "smart" and click "smart power strip". Google sends you to Amazon's search results page for "smart power strip". If you don't pick a suggestion and press Enter or click the search button, Google still sends you to Amazon's search results page. The only way to get Google's results is to click "results for" in the list of suggestions.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEuf-KECNJeRBtrzQHNTowifho7i5qzzH5JOghBeyU5SVRHgrVKEGexqRwKdxtwmRXzf1TZeGvCndzHWh-sUzpLGb0ta65PPDrxL9vZBtGGBT-VVMBv-0O2REaibEux0Ma6VSlm3qWB3p/s1600/google-inline-site-search-suggestions-2.png" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEabvsxPsIOx4vN7MFgiBpA6J54sEZM-TPTyZIQlBMM_owfkkeYrrYWXinPqznwqZokbKAWoK5hseZpXv2G2zMDFc0glohhyphenhyphenUilv0nXiwGnuExWwGVUWQw6JKcWG-GZTnhqWhba_Cm7omc/s1600/google-inline-site-search-suggestions-3.png" /></div><br />Amazon seems to be an exception. For searches like [microsoft], [youtube], [imdb], Google shows its own results.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2MN0aWnHCbJueL6hreavG4xfh8_P2slits-QEM0oE9b5U20Kf1NBt5Ub3QvI7XiJ7FmrXx_Olm0oOk1OKjomOUgGTs9QAd2Jcs7rmlOxmOtOGUSKaOQklZAK9pC08txa7SgRTvGt38Dr/s1600/google-inline-site-search-suggestions-4.png" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij3It_1_L_mLvRkmKcSfXoq7KmhwpqrqMKP2Kbix8ALWH6-7Hd7bb_apd-mUZ6Vbzw-EsGLw7svqZLRxsZr2w_g5J4q9p2IlHyriT22v-EAy7PtN9zStnaw79ttK_xN_QajH9Uu0dvAVk/s1600/google-inline-site-search-suggestions-5.png" /></div><br />{ Thanks, <a href="http://allgoogletesting.blogspot.com/2014/08/google-tests-new-search-box-in-search.html">Rubén</a>. }

Google Tests New Site Search Box

For navigational searches like [amazon], [white house] or [stanford], Google displays a search box that lets you search the top search resul...

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Google Knowledge Vault

<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329832.700-googles-factchecking-bots-build-vast-knowledge-bank.html">New Scientist reports</a> that Google works on supplementing Knowledge Graph with a new database called Knowledge Vault. While Knowledge Graph uses information from a list of trusted sources, Knowledge Vault gathers data from the entire Web.<br /><br />"Google started building the Vault by using an algorithm to automatically pull in information from all over the web, using machine learning to turn the raw data into usable pieces of knowledge. Knowledge Vault has pulled in 1.6 billion facts to date. Of these, 271 million are rated as 'confident facts', to which Google's model ascribes a more than 90 per cent chance of being true. It does this by cross-referencing new facts with what it already knows. Knowledge Vault offers Google fast, automatic expansion of its knowledge – and it's only going to get bigger," informs New Scientist.<br /><br />Google already provides some answers extracted from web pages, but it's not clear if this feature has anything to do with Knowledge Vault.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa19irrVAXpIIAjVMOPejb19JsLNoXPcTDMZlwavM56ks4CePaVz9quueS_4JhyBgK4tgIfGBJC7vZ3pqPSKbtm2ZmQ2DoLJzfSBIrWtP1RcYHq38g-ZX_ssuiXKLPLjroPlTD55gLrd9/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-26+at+12.21.48+.png" /></div><br />It's interesting to note that the <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/introducing-knowledge-graph-things-not.html">Google blog post</a> that announced Knowledge Graph mentioned that "Knowledge Graph isn't just rooted in public sources such as Freebase, Wikipedia and the CIA World Factbook. It's also augmented at a much larger scale — because we're focused on comprehensive breadth and depth."<br /><br />Google's goal has always been to use the power of the Web to extract facts and answers. 10 years ago, <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/10/behind-google-qa.html">Google Q&A</a> provided answers to common questions like "what is the population of Japan?" using information from the Web. Knowledge Graph allowed Google to organize information and create connections between entities and now Knowledge Vault comes full circle.<br /><br />"<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cs.cmu.edu%2F~nlao%2Fpublication%2F2014.kdd.pdf">Knowledge Vault: A Web-Scale Approach to Probabilistic Knowledge Fusion</a>" is authored by Xin Luna Dong, Evgeniy Gabrilovich, Geremy Heitz, Wilko Horn, Ni Lao, Kevin Murphy, Thomas Strohmann, Shaohua Sun, Wei Zhang - all of them from Google. The paper explains that "Knowledge Vault is different from previous works on automatic knowledge base construction as it combines noisy extractions from the Web together with prior knowledge, which is derived from existing knowledge bases". Google's paper uses the open source Freebase graph, but it's obvious that Freebase would be replaced with Knowledge Graph in Google Search.<br /><br />{ via <a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-builds-next-gen-knowledge-graph-future-201640">Search Engine Land</a> }

Google Knowledge Vault

New Scientist reports  that Google works on supplementing Knowledge Graph with a new database called Knowledge Vault. While Knowledge Graph ...

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Change the Query in Google Search Easter Eggs

This is really cool: you can take some of the Google Search Easter Eggs, change the query and they will still work. For example, you can replace "do a barrel roll" with "google maps" like this: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=do+a+barrel+roll#q=google+maps">https://www.google.com/search?q=do+a+barrel+roll#q=google+maps</a>. Start with <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=do+a+barrel+roll#q=">https://www.google.com/search?q=do+a+barrel+roll#q=</a>, then add the new query, while replacing space with +.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJ2YtmpL7p40NCfplq8Iu6n9aJZrKnLzDvdYHEuPdHLbkvFLzYViyU0zJHMxbf4uscDrIxGAXhG5pbfEmYxaNV8hcGWnZ7si581DfH79DqxFmmj3Fvj4Kjnw29GxtuXlPim726gy7_KP0/s1600/google-easter-egg-change-query.png" /></div><br />This also works for the "blink html" Easter Egg: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=blink+html#q=las+vegas">https://www.google.com/search?q=blink+html#q=las+vegas</a> and the "tilt" Easter Egg: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=tilt#q=android+l">https://www.google.com/search?q=tilt#q=android+l</a>.<br /><br />{ via <a href="http://searchengineland.com/fun-google-search-easter-eggs-work-query-refinements-201337">Search Engine Land</a> }

Change the Query in Google Search Easter Eggs

This is really cool: you can take some of the Google Search Easter Eggs, change the query and they will still work. For example, you can rep...

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Google Knowledge Graph Winners

If you search for [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=oscar+winners">oscar winners</a>], Google shows a long list of winners in the Knowledge Graph sidebar. You can scroll down to see all of them, switch to a different year or click a category and see all the nominees. Search for [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=oscar+1995">oscar 1995</a>] to find the winners from 1995, for example.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CtqjFDPUj4JNhK8m_PYhpzuiOvH02HWN4lIpLTC4MvMPPY8X3V3ls-6eDYIIaYqgR-wK1rY6-4ts-4mxEq_1wCMUaiun6IVMilebrl5zEXvykLGWkvtmfsX8XGLmzHLujQAYyD_knAUS/s1600/oscar-winners.png" /></div><br />You can also try [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=grammy">Grammy</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=emmy">Emmy</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=cesar%20winners">Cesar winners</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=goya+awards">Goya Awards</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=tony%20awards">Tony awards</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=golden%20globes">Golden Globes</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=brit+awards">Brit Awards</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=pulitzer">Pulitzer</a>], [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=nobel+awards">Nobel awards</a>] and many other queries. It works for more specific queries like [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=nobel+peace+prize">nobel peace prize</a>] or [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=nobel+prize+physics">nobel prize physics</a>].<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVg3ayV_lOJX5eJqeP0GHQM8GlhTNPY3m7PR9vonyQhygwLDWWnOy0ae6U983U38yPzpO_JnuDJlrY7M18l2A1uaQgXFmnZuQSFkI7-eIp-0t790zcKzFE_WyKdg6sxabYFqkg-kuvDptK/s1600/nobel-peace-winners.png" /></div>

Google Knowledge Graph Winners

If you search for [ oscar winners ], Google shows a long list of winners in the Knowledge Graph sidebar. You can scroll down to see all of t...

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Google Query Tricks

This isn't some new Google Search feature, but I thought it's worth sharing. Google has some smart algorithms that process your queries and can determine what you intended to type even if it's not properly formatted.<br /><br />1. You can separate all the characters of your query by space. For example: [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=h+o+t+e+l+c+a+l+i+f+o+r+n+i+a+l+y+r+i+c+s">h o t e l c a l i f o r n i a l y r i c s</a>].<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlOByng-mdyd6ef46ffKMAGpQL02_nXGGuULgM2f8ssxAcdqOgCfMXnhmmelkMbt_wrgDqt2SMmorpfKvewpE5jf9FgeT5d8BEepvI_FOaJ-GHsubBdhFnWi5rWraUHhfK3HQDmwjTdJa/s1600/google-query-sep1.png" /></div><br />2. You can separate all the characters of your query using dots. For example: [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=h+o+t+e+l+c+a+l+i+f+o+r+n+i+a+l+y+r+i+c+s"></a><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=h.o.t.e.l.c.a.l.i.f.o.r.n.i.a.l.y.r.i.c.s">h o t e l c a l i f o r n i a l y r i c s</a>].<br /><br />3. You can type your query without using space to separate words. For example: [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=hotelcalifornialyrics">hotelcalifornialyrics</a>].<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFVHk14oW2E53vAZbV6LDfhA5uIqDe7blJoKULEicX-Zez8ZRNW-mgbJuT2UqBxVUiDkt1fVp6Nf-hWYtDNYfP5Hvc9tPg-IBToBZXKiWhm7o-Obh9T401aNqDKWDkVV9d7y_RCKmNCTI/s1600/google-query-sep2.png" /></div><br />4. You can separate the words from your query using various characters like "+", "*", "&", "^" and more. Here's an example: [<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=hotel%5Ecalifornia%5Elyrics">hotel^california^lyrics</a>].<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSWgs6ZXA_DOA_ezJxor6LqEVqgXfJX5-lcUAmQjv0PYlo1joCB0FcE7gfN_4ANs1r5iie_fJwFX_jKXIMJz6sNJnlevGirPs0Ikx9Zv8_f2mMi44vMI1_8VzPXcbZ9xPH54jJ9DVsqYU/s1600/google-query-sep3.png" /></div>

Google Query Tricks

This isn't some new Google Search feature, but I thought it's worth sharing. Google has some smart algorithms that process your quer...

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