* showing recent searches from your search history if you're logged in and Web History is enabled
* being able to remove suggestions from your search history
In this example, "mailinator" is a suggestion from my search history.
* adding the top search result to the list of suggestion for navigational searches
* displaying the "Google Search" and "I'm feeling lucky" buttons below the list of suggestions
"MSN" is a navigational query, since users want to navigate to MSN's homepage. Google saves you one click by sending you directly to MSN.com.
It's not necessary to enter the full query to get navigational suggestions. Typing "quickt" is enough to display the top result: QuickTime's homepage.
* showing suggestions not just on the homepage, but also on search results pages
* removing the number of results for each suggested query
Suggestions aren't useful just on the homepage.
If you don't see the new interface yet, here's how to enable it: go to Google's homepage, copy this JavaScript code in the address bar:
and press Enter. Refresh Google's homepage and you should see the new interface.
This is awesome except for the removal of the number of results; that was really useful. The other improvements make up for it though.
ReplyDeleteI love that Google added a feature it first tried in IE8's search bar (and that I really like!) to its homepage: Adding a top search result with a link to a site.
ReplyDeletehttp://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2009/03/google-tests-enhanced-suggestions-for.html
One thing that I don't like about the "Google Search" and "I'm Feeling Lucky" buttons in the search drop-down is that the buttons can't be clicked using the keyboard. I wish after typing the search query, a user could hit the Tab key and put the focus on either said buttons.
@jasonvaritekfan:
ReplyDeleteYou can just hit Enter to use one of the suggestions, so focusing the Google Search button is unnecessary. Since Google shows the top result for navigational queries, the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button adds little value.
@Alex Chitu: Yes but top result for navigational queries aren't always displayed, it's only for selected queries (at the moment).
ReplyDeleteThe "Google Search" button is not needed, but "I'm Feeling Lucky" would be nice to use with the keyboard.
after enable this function in my chrome, the "options" on result page won't work, anybody else have this issue?
ReplyDeletesearch options don't work for me either in chrome. and in firefox 3.5 i can't see the footer of the results page and the page numbers.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteeverything works now :) though i don't like the two ugly buttons that appear and i don't know why would anyone use them...
ReplyDeleteI don't like it showing suggestion from my search history. Is there a way to turn it off?
ReplyDeleteGoogle Suggest encourages competitors to maliciously defame each other. All you have to do is send artificial "searches" to get a false nasty rumor onto the list. Once the suggestion is there, the defamation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
ReplyDelete@ Californian- AGREED! why would they get rid of such a useful feature?? i would always try typing in different search queries to see which would yield the most results...
ReplyDeleteBRING IT BACK!!!! :(
Showing the number of results was the most useful feature ever added to Google Suggest! The other improvements are relatively minor and in no way come even close to making up for the loss of this feature!
ReplyDeleteBring Google suggest with the number of results back .
ReplyDeleteIn my extra time i would type in all kinds of crazy things to see
how many other people had searched for the same thing.
Please bring it back .
The number of results in Google Suggest was the best part of it, I agree. It was a very handy tool I used a lot, and I would very appreciate seeing it back again.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why they got rid of the number of results. Is it possible this could be brought back by mashing an ajax script into a web page? Btw, it still works for google.co.uk.
ReplyDelete