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<p>The new boxes appear when you search for the brand names of a number of UK newspaper sites, as well as major retailers like Tesco: </p>
<p>
<img alt="Tesco Google search" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2234/2314300475_c646827cb0_o.jpg" />
</p>
<p>In its blog, <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/search-within-site-tale-of.html">Google claims</a> they will make searchers' lives easier - helping them find the exact pages they are looking for, while of course generating more page impressions for Big G itself. </p>
<p>They may also compensate for poor internal search functionality on some sites, though I'm not sure that applies to the likes of Tesco. </p>
<p>For instance, if you want to buy a fridge from the supermarket giant, <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fridge&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=tesco.com">searching via Google</a> brings you a jumble of results, with no sorting or filtering options: </p>
<p>
<img alt="Google search Tesco fridges" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2315132648_0d0778d152_o.jpg" />
</p>
<p>Searching the site itself will give you a list sorted by relevance, with the ability to filter the results according to brand and price: </p>
<p>
<img alt="Tesco fridge search" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2315133082_40fd83cdc5_o.jpg" />
</p>
<p>Firms, meanwhile, might also be worried about the potential implications if traffic is diverted away from their internal search and navigation functions - a valuable source of data on customer behaviour.</p>
<p>One imagines it will also be a concern for sites that rely on CPM ad revenue and retailers that have prioritised investment in their homepages. </p>
<p>Knowing how and when Google decides to make the new search boxes appear would be a help, but its blog (unsurprisingly) doesn't go into much detail:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>
<em>"This feature will now occur when we detect a high probability that a user wants more refined search results within a specific site.</em>
</p>
<p>
<em>"Like the rest of our snippets, the sites that display the site search box are chosen algorithmically based on metrics that measure how useful the search box is to users."</em>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>From what we can see, Google introduces the new boxes when users search for some popular websites' brands. But there are some puzzling <em>"algorithmic"</em> discrepancies.</p>
<p>For example, I can't understand why the Times, Guardian etc get their own search boxes, but the <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=bbc&meta=">BBC doesn't.</a></p>
<p>And nor does <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Yahoo&meta=">Yahoo</a>.<strong></strong></p><strong>
<p>
<strong>Related posts:<br /></strong>
<a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/search-engine-optimization-seo-best-practice-guide-2007">Search Engine Optimisation Best Practice Guide</a>
<br />
<a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/site-search-buyer-s-guide-2006">Site Search Buyer's Guide</a>
</p>
<p>
<strong>Related stories:<br /></strong>
<a href="/blog/2242-google-quality-score-dented-by-slow-landing-pages">Google Quality Score dented by slow landing pages <br /></a>
<a href="/blog/2208-google-loses-clicks-microsoft-adds-engagement">Google loses clicks, Microsoft adds engagement</a>
<a href="/blog/2242-google-quality-score-dented-by-slow-landing-pages"> </a>
</p>
</strong>
<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/">
<Paragraph>The new boxes appear when you search for the brand names of a number of UK newspaper sites, as well as major retailers like Tesco: </Paragraph>
<Paragraph Align="Center">
<Image AlternateText="Tesco Google search" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2234/2314300475_c646827cb0_o.jpg">
</Image>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>In its blog, <Link URL="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/search-within-site-tale-of.html" Window="Self">Google claims</Link> they will make searchers' lives easier - helping them find the exact pages they are looking for, while of course generating more page impressions for Big G itself. </Paragraph>
<Paragraph>They may also compensate for poor internal search functionality on some sites, though I'm not sure that applies to the likes of Tesco. </Paragraph>
<Paragraph>For instance, if you want to buy a fridge from the supermarket giant, <Link URL="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fridge&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=tesco.com" Window="Self">searching via Google</Link> brings you a jumble of results, with no sorting or filtering options: </Paragraph>
<Paragraph Align="Center">
<Image AlternateText="Google search Tesco fridges" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2315132648_0d0778d152_o.jpg">
</Image>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>Searching the site itself will give you a list sorted by relevance, with the ability to filter the results according to brand and price: </Paragraph>
<Paragraph Align="Center">
<Image AlternateText="Tesco fridge search" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2315133082_40fd83cdc5_o.jpg">
</Image>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>Firms, meanwhile, might also be worried about the potential implications if traffic is diverted away from their internal search and navigation functions - a valuable source of data on customer behaviour.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>One imagines it will also be a concern for sites that rely on CPM ad revenue and retailers that have prioritised investment in their homepages. </Paragraph>
<Paragraph>Knowing how and when Google decides to make the new search boxes appear would be a help, but its blog (unsurprisingly) doesn't go into much detail:</Paragraph>
<Block>
<Paragraph>
<Quote>"This feature will now occur when we detect a high probability that a user wants more refined search results within a specific site.</Quote>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Quote>"Like the rest of our snippets, the sites that display the site search box are chosen algorithmically based on metrics that measure how useful the search box is to users."</Quote>
</Paragraph>
</Block>
<Paragraph>From what we can see, Google introduces the new boxes when users search for some popular websites' brands. But there are some puzzling <Quote>"algorithmic"</Quote> discrepancies.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>For example, I can't understand why the Times, Guardian etc get their own search boxes, but the <Link URL="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=bbc&meta=" Window="Self">BBC doesn't.</Link></Paragraph>
<Paragraph>And nor does <Link URL="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Yahoo&meta=" Window="Self">Yahoo</Link>.<Emphasis></Emphasis></Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Emphasis>Related posts:<LineBreak /></Emphasis>
<Link URL="http://econsultancy.com/reports/search-engine-optimization-seo-best-practice-guide-2007" Window="Self">Search Engine Optimisation Best Practice Guide</Link>
<LineBreak />
<Link URL="http://econsultancy.com/reports/site-search-buyer-s-guide-2006" Window="Self">Site Search Buyer's Guide</Link>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Emphasis>Related stories:<LineBreak /></Emphasis>
<Link URL="/blog/2242-google-quality-score-dented-by-slow-landing-pages" Window="Self">Google Quality Score dented by slow landing pages <LineBreak /></Link>
<Link URL="/blog/2208-google-loses-clicks-microsoft-adds-engagement" Window="Self">Google loses clicks, Microsoft adds engagement</Link>
<Link URL="/blog/2242-google-quality-score-dented-by-slow-landing-pages" Window="Self"> </Link>
</Paragraph>
</FormattedContent>
2008-03-06T18:37:00+00:00
5
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econsultancy_xml
<p>
<strong>Google has started to add a secondary search box to some larger websites' listings in a move it says will help it deliver more accurate results.</strong>
</p>
<p>But will the new feature funnel traffic away from sites' internal search and navigation tools, perhaps not always to the benefit of users?</p>
<p>
<img alt="Google search: times" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2314300001_fa42a00dbe_o.jpg" />
</p>
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<Emphasis>Google has started to add a secondary search box to some larger websites' listings in a move it says will help it deliver more accurate results.</Emphasis>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>But will the new feature funnel traffic away from sites' internal search and navigation tools, perhaps not always to the benefit of users?</Paragraph>
<Paragraph Align="Center">
<Image AlternateText="Google search: times" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2314300001_fa42a00dbe_o.jpg">
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