Has Google Changed the Search Box?

[KSA]

I'm confused. Up until recently - it might have been just today, but the days merge together so - when I started to enter a search string in the Google search box, it would show me the most recent searches I did and I could pick the one I wanted.

Now, it seems to be showing a drop down of all Google searches with the number of results. This is really annoying. I don't want to have to wade through all Google searches - I just want to choose from the drop down of the searches I normally use!

Did Google change something, or did I somehow change a default that is causing this?

Any help would reduce my stress levels!

Thanks,

Kathleen

[webmaster]

Seems to work normally for me, are you logged into your Google account?

[KSA]

I was, but even logged out, it's doing the same thing. I did look at some of the Google webmaster tools today, but I swear I didn't change anything. I'll go back and see if I can undo whatever happened.

Thanks for confirming that it's just me!

Kathleen

[David Abernathy]

Kathleen,

I am getting the same responses from the Google Search box that you are describing. Note: I am not logged into any of our Gmail accounts.

[KSA]

Well, what in the world is going on, Dave? I haven't seen any news about Google changing it. I put a post on the Google Webmasters group asking if anyone knows how to change it back. This is a bit strange!

[KSA]

I finally found the news over at WebMasterWorld. Google has changed the search box and here's the official announcement:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/...for-words.html

Lots of folks at WebMasterWorld were annoyed, too!

It's rolling out now, so soon everyone will have the opportunity to be annoyed by it.

If you click on the Preferences link to the right of the search box, you can turn it off and it will go back to showing only your own searches in the drop down.

Cheez. Thanks for nothing.

Will the result be that Google will end up controlling the long-tail searches? I noticed that some of the things I wanted to search weren't even on the list!

But, if a lot of people start using it (and I'm sure the regular bear will have no idea how to turn it off), will they persevere to enter the search they had in mind, or will they just choose one of Google's options?

Not good from my perspective.

[Markz]

Yahoo did a similar thing before showing the results per search on the drop down it was very annoying so I turned it off, my Google has yet to show this so I cant comment.

[KSA]

I haven't used Yahoo in forever, so I went to see what they were doing. If you start typing "real estate", Yahoo starts showing brokerages - C21, Pru, Remax, CB.

If someone was going to type "real estate in Atlanta", will they stop and just choose the first brokerage name they see?

I think this stinks!

[Markz]

I wasnt aware it gave results like that as like you I dont use Yahoo much for anything and since I turned it off its just as it was in the old days.

I haven't used Yahoo in forever, so I went to see what they were doing. If you start typing "real estate", Yahoo starts showing brokerages - C21, Pru, Remax, CB.

If someone was going to type "real estate in Atlanta", will they stop and just choose the first brokerage name they see?

I think this stinks!

[KSA]

At least Google doesn't come up with brokerage names! But, at Yahoo, a single agent's site won't get much play if people start just clicking on one of the brokerage sites. Luckily, most people would search for Atlanta Real Estate...