SEL: Google Testing "Alternate Searches"

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Search marketing in the new media era.

April 06, 2005

Google Testing "Alternate Searches" - Confirmed

UPDATE: Google's Nate Tyler confirms "we are running a limited test of this new interface."

With 149 people using the search engines on a regular basis, you tend to notice something different.

One of our talented Account Executives (yes you, Dave Schebell) spotted a mysterious new link at the bottom of his Google results page. Normally, any strange links on a Google SERP would suggest some kind of malicious spyware, but these little addition doesn't appear to take you anywhere other than Google.

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The link "Try Alternate Searches", when clicked on, takes you to a page that includes other suggest keyword searches, you may want to consider.

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This new Google feature is a bold step to try and help users enhance their search query text. Google has previously not wanted to go down the road offered by Ask Jeeves, Yahoo and other search engines that offer "also try" search options. Google's "Try Alternate Searches" takes the concept one step further by offering a link to a page showing the top-3 searches for common popular variations of the entered search term.

Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

...the search industry queries new media