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Google Testing More New Features: Enhanced Listings, Pagelinks, and Spelling Corrections

posted on December 13, 2008


Man, I feel like my favorite search engine is going through puberty! So many awkward changes! Yep that’s right, it appears that Google is once again planning on changing the way it displays search results. Danny Sullivan reports on three changes that are currently being tested live. This news comes in just a few weeks after other major changes have been implemented.

Enhanced Listings

These are listings that contain price ranges and ratings of different products and services from businesses that include this type of information on their site. So far only Yelp, Citysearch, CNET, TripAdvisor and Download.com are a part of the testing phase. One would assume that when this feature launches to the public it will be available to any site that has reviews and price ranges with in content. Danny says that this feature is similar to Yahoo’s Search Monkey.

Pagelinks

So we already know about Sitelinks (those are the links below a listing that point to different areas of the site when the listing is the first in the SERP). However, now it looks like we will have something that Danny calls “Pagelinks.” Pagelinks are links that appear with in the search listings that point to different areas of the page. They are found right below the main listing link and are prefixed with “Jump to:.”

For example if you own a site for a Pizzeria, and your menu comes up in the SERP, then it might have an extra link in the listing that says, “Jump to: Deep Dish.” This link will take you directly to the section of the menu that has the Deep Dish Pizzas. It appears that this is made possible through Google indexing destination anchors along with the typical hyperlink.

Automatic Spelling Correction

This is probably one of the few changes Google is making that I really appreciate! For a long time Google has provided users with different spelling suggestions for queries that are spelled wrong. This has been a great feature on its own. However, now they are testing a feature that provides a small set of results for their suggested spelling and then full set of results for the misspelled query. Danny indicates that this will be a permanent feature in the coming weeks.

So, what’s with all these awkward changes anyways? Is Google ever going to stop tweaking their SERPs? I am willing to bet that it has something to do with finding more ad space. What are your thoughts?


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  • http://franklinbishop.net/blogging-school/ Blog Expert

    Most of these features are needed for Google. Spelling corrections are definitely needed. It is going to be harder to market misspelled words this way.

  • http://datexmedia.wordpress.com Scott Mahler

    There’s a lot of competition out there, even for Google. I know of many companies that have died because they refused to even condider changing the way they did business to keep up with the times. That being said, some of Google’s ideas will probably fail, but I at least appreciate the fact that they aren’t resting on their laurels and expecting the rest of us to stay loyal to their brand.

    Scott Mahler’s last blog post..SEO and Your Website: How Does it Work?

  • http://www.internetwirelesscard.com Wireless

    If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind, so they say……..(just ask yahoo)

  • http://www.jordankasteler.com/utah-seo-pro-blog/ Utah SEO Pro

    SearchMonkey was a great idea as was Google Subscribed listings. I’d like to see people utilize those more.

  • http://www.townofmyrtlebeach.com/myrtlebeachapartments/myrtlebeachapartments.html myrtle beach apartments

    spelling correction would be a huge help for google, it is definatly a needed feature. As americans, phonics screwed us

  • http://www.leadsexplorer.com LEADSExplorer

    Google is becoming clueless as they face shareholder pressure: how to keep growing? How to keep the earnings/share?
    They don’t know.
    Google is a one trick pony and Android or Chrome will take long before there is sufficient penetration and use (If ever).
    Google tries to penetrate business of others (Microsoft, Nokia) and will encounter fierce competition in businesses they don’t have experience in.

    At the same time they are tweeking their main source of revenue: search.
    If they make a mistake and the public hates it, they will end up in the same camp Microsoft has been sitting since many years.

    Only a few companies can re-invent themselves: IBM, GE, Apple, Microsoft. Now it is time for Google to prove they can re-invent themselves.

  • http://www.varologic.com/blog/post/2008/11/30-hottest-and-latest-Christmas-gadgets.aspx Nichole

    I think Spelling mistakes and page links are much needed features for Google.

  • http://www.3arn.net/ Abdul

    Google is always in the verge of improving, more ad space? Well I suppose Google did have a little ambition of extra revenue on the back of their minds while they were planning this!

    Abdul’s last blog post..Whos.Amung.Us taking Web Stats to a Whole New Level

  • http://www.ps3forfree.org.uk Tony

    Seems like they’re always trying to improve, But I just wonder how many of the ideas came from user surveys, and how many from marketeers.

    I think the page links would be a good idea. But agree with what LEADSExplorer says, in that they’re always trying to tweak their search engine. I can’t help thinking ‘if it’s not broke, why fix it?’

    I suppose we’ll wait and see how it all turns out.

  • http://www.aidsdrugsonline.com AIDS Drugs

    I think the page links seem like a natural extension of site links and are a good idea. I think the display of product information/prices seems like you might end up clogging the search results.

  • http://www.spike.com/blog/wii-fit-personal/71786 Wii Fit

    Google know to introduce some thing new.

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