Google Suggest Goes Prime Time
Searching just got a little bit easier.
I just noticed this yesterday, although it may have been around for a few days, but it appears that Google has implemented it's Suggest functionality into the main search bar at their site. Google Suggest has been around for a while now, particularly in various applications that Google offers, and has (in some minds) set the precedence for using Ajax technology in forms. I often see it referred to in explanations of what Ajax is, and how it can make an interface more engaging.
For my part, I like this kind of thing. For those that are unfamiliar with "live searches" and such, Google Suggest sends a request to the server as you type into the search bar. The server then returns suggestions for your search based on what Google has determined most users would like to see. Like everything else, this is based on how many people are searching for particular terms and a whole bunch of other criteria. What gets displayed is a list of potential searches that can help to make entering a search easier. Rather than typing more and dealing with possible spelling errors, a user can just select the search that they want.
In addition to making even something as simple as a search box easier to use, and more fun, it also has the nice side effect of subtly educating users about how to search. Take the example in the image on the left, where I have typed ecommerce into the search box. Google Suggest has returned a very insightful list of possible searches, which helps someone to more effectively find what they are looking for.
Perhaps I am a new online store owner, and amidst everything else that I have to take care of, I need to find a host for the online store I am creating. I type in ecommerce because that is the keyword that is on my mind, but as I see the results I quickly learn that ecommerce hosting is probably a much better choice for me. I also happen to notice that there are a couple of other popular searches that might be of interest to me, such as ecommerce templates and ecommerce shopping cart, since I am in the midst of creating an online store. This is an extremely simple example, but it illustrates how such a simple little feature can really improve the usability and, more importantly, usefulness of a website.
1 Comment
Bryan Eye says:
On several occasions now, Suggest has immediately directed me to the information I was seeking. It has also revealed to me other unrelated, but valuable, information that I ended up using as well. What a powerful tool. Like you said, Brian, it is often used as the Ajax "poster child"... however, I think we're going to start seeing much more creative implementations of Ajax because of its power and simplicity.
