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August 1, 2008
What Search Quality Means to Search Engine Google
In the boldly headlined blog entry, "Search quality, continued," Googler Ben Gomes explaines in greater depth what search quality means to Google.
It's too bad Google didn't publish the post before the Un-Search Engine, Un-Cuil, launched.
Gomes has written a clear overview of factors that Google considers to improve search user experience. Those are some of the same factors SEOs take into consideration when consulting on site design:
1. A small page. A small page is quick to download and generally faster for your browser to display. This results in a minimalist design aesthetic; extra fanciness in the interface slows down the page without giving you much benefit.
2. Complex algorithms with a simple presentation. Many search features require a great deal of algorithmic complexity and a vast amount of data analysis to make them work well. The trick is to hide all that complexity behind a clean, intuitive user interface. Spelling correction, snippets, sitelinks and query refinements are examples of features that require sophisticated algorithms and are constantly improving. From the user's point of view search, almost invisibly, just works better.
3. Features that work everywhere. Features must be designed such that the algorithms and presentation can be adapted to work in all languages and countries.
4. Data driven decisions - experiment, experiment, experiment.
We're looking forward to the next installment when Google discusses some of the specific experiments they've done to improve search quality.
Posted by Kevin Heisler at August 1, 2008 4:45 PM
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Comments
Google is not going to go away. Such a shame that Cuil marred my hopes!
Vertical search engines will get better and better (e.g, Vadlo.com for scientists), and eventually, all educated smart people will use multiple verticals. And that is where the money is for advertisers!
Posted by: Dieter Frank at August 1, 2008 5:20 PM
Nothing revolutionary there. But if never hurts to reaffirm the faith.
I know we're living in "internet time" but isn't it a little early to write off Cuil? Okay, the user interface leaves me cold, too. And a quick Google search gets me three times as much good data -- on anything that might interest ME -- as a quick search on Cuil.
But there is an awful lot of heavy-duty talent on the bench at Cuil. They must be doing SOMETHING besides watering the plants.
REG CROWDER
Posted by: REG CROWDER at August 2, 2008 1:45 PM
I prefer www.jamesoo.com ! Better results, avaliable in 12 languages and much more cute isn't it ?
Posted by: andy at August 19, 2008 11:11 AM
