October 08 2006

Google eats itself...?

Google has quietly released a new search interface that's pure 'web2.0' - a "mashup" of open data feeds and a rich user interface - appropriately called "SearchMash". There are some indications here of how search could develop and it's worth a look.

SearchMash has a number of neat user-focused features that make search a more useful experience: direct typing of search term, image results displayed in-line, clicking on a result can refine your query and - in a revelation - you can re-order the search results by drag and drop within the browser.

The site coyly notes of this new feature:

Click the number next to a result and drag it around to reorder. This is just for fun right now, but we have some ideas for how to use this.

Some uses leap to mind: direct feedback to google (and advertisers) on how users rate the results. This would allow users to prioritise "useful" results from paid-placement results. Another use is to generate "editorialised lists". If I'm search for an appliance and get thousands of returns I can identify my few favourite items, drag them to the top and then email that edited result as a recommendation list to friends...

It's interesting that Google has chosen to set up a live R&D site rather than to put these changes out as part of the 'perpetuate beta' that is their main site. The fact that there is a great deal of explicit feedback opportunity on the site indicates that this is even more beta (alpha?) than the usual Google experimentation.

Furthermore, while the terms of service make it clear that the site is owned and operated by Google the implication in the disclaimer is that they intend to bring in additional feeds from other companies. This is not, therefore, solely a Google enterprise.

We write regularly on the disaggregating and deconstructionist challenges (and opportunities) in Web2.0, but it's fascinating to see a live example of a company that not only support other people's Web2.0 businesses (eg via Google Maps etc) but is itself willing to challenge its own business' primacy. If ever there were a lesson in extreme customer and service focus for our age then we have it here.

As someone who's normally reduced to catatonic paralysis at the very mention of "search engine marketing", I must say that this is a welcome jolt of life into the interminable discussions on 'optimisation'. Here we have the very model shifting in front of our eyes.

Ian Jindal Thanks to a lead from Damon Lightley on his blog.