After we posted on the release of Google Instant Search last week, we realized that many issues are not just technical ones. While there are some glitches, much of what we have to say is more about updates and disclosure.
What’s making all of this much more noticeable is that Google has always been superb about letting everyone know how to best use a service, enhancement, feature, tool, etc., and about any issues they might anticipate during the release of a product. This also applies to Google’s documentation and training tools.
All of the effort that Google put towards the release of “Instant Search” and the attention that it received after it went live, illustrate that Instant Search is a major release for the company — or what they call a “new search enhancement.”
Google did not use the word “beta” with this launch. That might have helped a post like this from being written — but the more we think about it, Google often releases in beta and is still excellent in letting us know (in a variety of locations) what’s going on. Here’s the introductory blog post, a second day post, and the Google Instant Search info page.
Again, we want to focus more on letting users know what’s going on versus technical issues that exist. So here are some things we noticed that are not mentioned in either a blog post or any other official documentation we’ve come across on the Google web site (where most people will look).
+ Some advanced operators turn off Instant Search. The page either turns white and stops offering any instant results, or is white from the outset and does not provide any instant results. It depends where the operator is placed. When a searcher uses an operator,he or she needs to (as the page says): “Click Enter to Search.” That works. However, some users only know to click the search button. Adding three words here — “or search button” — would help.
Google’s own search “cheat sheet” does not provide any info about this and other issues Instant Search might cause.
What about the advanced search interface? Yes, it does work — once — but not for all searches after the first search (unless it’s a permanent shut down). More about the advanced search interface next.
+ From the Google Instant Search Info Page
Discussion of Where Instant Search Does NOT Work:
You search from a page that’s not the Google homepage or a search results page
You search from your iGoogle Page rather than the classic homepage
You search using Google SSL (Encrypted Search)
Yes, that’s accurate. However, what is not mentioned is that unless you permanently turn Instant Search off, go back to the Google search box (browser search box, iGoogle, or Google SSL), any further iteration of your query after the first uses Instant Search. A reminder — and info about how to permanently turn Instant Search — would be useful. (Shirl’s note: Amen!)
+ Even though you may have gone to the Google Search Settings (preferences) page, found the box, and changed the number of default search results to anything more than ten — and unless you permanently turn Instant Search off or use and continue to use the advanced search for each search — the maximum number of results you’ll be able to see is ten. A link next to the box where you change the number of results and/or mentioning these things at the launch event would have been useful.
+ There are other issues. One is that default number of suggested queries is now only four plus your latest search query. Another is the removal of the search box at the bottom of a results page. Performance and layout issues are the reasons why this took place. It’s actually easy to understand why but it would have been useful to let all users know. Especially those of you who work with and/or train users how to use Google.
Update: If you do spend some time on the Google Web Search Forums you’ll find several long threads with reports of Google searchers having problems turning off (and keeping off) Google Instant Search. We were among the people has had problems The good news is that we think we have the problem solved (at least for now) but as is always the case you results may vary.
The Google Web Search Forum was a big help.
To Turn Both Autocomplete and Instant Search Off place this URL http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en in the box at the top of the browser (what Firefox calls the navigation toolbar) and then click search or hit the return/enter key. Give it a go.
To Turn Instant Search Off But Keep the Autocomplete Working Use This URL: http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&instant=0&hl=en
To Turn Both Services Back On: http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&instant=1&hl=en
You can change at anytime by simply placing another URL into the box.
We’re still looking for a fix if computers are shared and one user loves it and another user finds it less than helpful?
Before going forward with some links to articles by others, we would like mention again that, while many users (of all types) might consider these to be minor issues, our hope is that Google returns to sharing this type of info again at the launch, before the launch, or as it comes up. We would love if Google would share this info with all users. If that’s not possible, there is no reason why advanced search issues and the like could not be posted on Google Librarian Central. But again, we’re not even sure if that’s possible, since the last time a newsletter was sent was well over a year ago on April 6, 2009 and this came after what the newsletter says was a “6-month hiatus.”
Now, on to some some links to other posts and articles re: Instant Search. We have several from the last week in three posts here, here and here. The third post also updates the second post.
While are focus was more on disclosure and alerts, Danny Sullivan and Barry Schwartz spotted some issues with some of the Instant Search search suggestions.
1) The Five Words You Can Never Suggest On Google Instant (by Danny Sullivan
It does use some adult language as Danny documents his findings.
2. Good News, Lesbians — Google Instant May Soon Suggest You!
We will conclude with a correction to something we posted last week.
+ One thing we mentioned last week is a permanent change to Google search results pages that we missed. We’re sorry for any confusion this might have caused. Before Google began rolling out and officially launching their new search results user interface, the results pages not only included the blue bar but also numbering to show where, in the list of results, you were located — e.g.,
- 31 to 40 of about 202,000,000 for xxx
- 101 to 200 of about 7100 for xxx
On November 19, 2009, a limited public test of what officially became the new (and current, to the degree that Instant Search was not then available) user interface began. The same day, some users stopped seeing the numbering. View examples of this in screen captures from Search Engine Land. More and more searchers began to see the new UI beginning in late March and early April. Finally, Google officially launched their new search results page UI on May 5, 2010. Once again, screen captures show the change.
Via Resource Shelf
Google can ruin PPC ads by showing instant results but it is nice to show fast results.