Google Loves Forums

On May 12, 2009 at their annual Searchology event, Google announced a series of new search options features. Notably, these features extend Google’s core search product, letting you “slice and dice your results and generate different views to find what you need faster and easier,” says Marissa Mayer, Google’s Vice President of Search Products and User Experience.

Search Options is located on Google.com. When you conduct a search, the results page will show a “Show Options” link. Clicking there offers a column to choose from on the left.

These updates followed extensive research on the current behavior patterns of users who, according to Mayer, are becoming increasingly “sophisticated at search.” Google spent a lot of time looking at the information that is on the Web and connecting users to what they really need.

So what did Google find were the most important new features needed to improve upon their product? Organizing results via the type of content you’re looking for: video, forums or reviews. Out of the various types of sites that Google could have featured, forums were the second most important feature to include in their new tool belt.

We couldn’t agree more! Forums contain a wealth of real-time information and Google has found a way to tap into it.