Google Gets More Colourful And More Local

small new look google.co.uk SERP

There’s a new look to the search results on Google.co.uk, on my computer at least, and it points the way to potential new look for their search results in general. Compare the new look above to the current look on Google.ie below:

small old style google serp ie

The most obvious changes are:

  • Search text is bolded
  • The Google logo is bigger and brighter
  • The search options on the left have icons now
  • SERP’s are permanently indented by the search options
  • Search: The Web / Pages from Ireland has been replaced by Set Location

The search button also gets a new look and is integrated into the search box:

new google search box

The new look is certainly clean, and the icons do help identify the different search options much better that the text only links of old. The most notable new feature to me is the “Set Location”, which says to me the Google are clearly going after even more the of the Local Business market, a point which is backed up by the inclusion of Maps in the search options.

The last Google test that we noticed here in the office involved breadcrumbs in the search results, and that has since been rolled back, at least for now, so there’s no telling how long this new look will be around for, but in general I’m in favour of the changes.

Are you seeing this new look on any of Google’s sites? What are your thoughts on the design changes? Let us know in the comments below.

Tagged with:  

Site Hierarchies Now Included In Google Search Results

Google Search Result For Cosmetic Surgery Ireland

Google Search Result For Cosmetic Surgery Ireland

Google have started to add extra information to their search results in order to give users a better idea about what section of a website they’re about to click through to. This makes more sense in some situations than others. For example, in the search result pictured above the new site hierarchy link “Plastic Surgery Clinics” which appears after the “www.revahealth.com >” in green doesn’t really add any information, seeing as the same text is included in the main link to the page.

However, imagine if the page title (and Google’s main link text) was “Dr. Michael Smith, 4 Main Street, Crosstown”. In this case the site hierarchy link would probably be something like “Dentists”, which would give you a good context about the type of page you were going to click through to, telling you Dr Michael Smith is a dentist rather than a GP or a surgeon for instance.

Google Search Result For Dentists Ireland

Google Search Result For Dentists Ireland

These site hierarchy links have only started to appear in the last week, and so far only for some of our search results. It will be interesting to see how common these become and how they’ll evolve. Have you seen these for your site yet, and are they any help?

[Additional information direct from Google here: Site Hierarchy Links]

Tagged with:  
© 2010 WhatClinic.com Blog