Google searches taken in aggregate often reveal interesting insights about what’s currently trending around the globe. It also makes for fun trivia, with this evening’s episode of Jeopardy! featuring a whole category about “Google’s Top Searches, 1999-2018.”
Google.com has long allowed users to filter search results by time from general increments to setting a “custom date range.” The search engine is now testing a new “before:” and “after:” command to filter right from the search box.
The Google Material Theme began rolling out to Google.com on the desktop web in late November with a pill-shaped Search field on the results pages. Earlier this month, that new Search bar made its way to the iconic homepage. Google is now testing Material Theme icons alongside each Search category on the web.
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Google is the go-to option for search, and the company’s hotel and flight search takes some of the headaches out of booking a trip. This week, Google is announcing an expansion of its vacation search service.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Google launched the ability to perform Duo calls on the web. Now, the company is featuring that new ability with advertisements on the Google.com homepage and also on Chrome’s new tab page.
In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee submitted “Information Management: A Proposal” to CERN. Thirty years later, the web has had a revolutionary impact on the world, and Google.com is marking the occasion today with a quaint Doodle.
Late last year, Google Search began testing various Material Theme tweaks. Many elements have since been widely rolled out, with the latest being a slight revamp for Knowledge Panels on the mobile web and Android.
Last November, Google brought the first Material Theme elements to Search on desktop web, with mobile tweaks following afterwards. The Google.com homepage today features a pill-shaped search field to complete the visual redesign.
Since last year, Google has been a vocal opponent of the European Union’s Copyright Directive. While the company recognizes the need for legal modernization, it argues that there are unintended consequences for the publishers and other parties that the EU is trying to help. Google yesterday shared its response to the finalized text ahead of a broader vote.
The opioid crisis in the U.S. is an ongoing public health emergency, with Google noting that searches for “medication disposal near me” reached an “all-time high” in January. In light of that, it’s now easier to find those locations in Google Maps and Search.
Over the weekend, Google presented a white paper at the Munich Security Conference detailing how it fights disinformation across its largest services. This includes efforts covering Google Search, News, and YouTube, as well as advertising platforms.
Over the past several weeks, some users have spotted a Google Assistant shortcut on the Google.com mobile homepage. As of this evening, it appears to be widely rolled out and lets users launch Assistant on their phone.
Last month, Google tested the impact of Search news results that lacked snippets, headlines, and images to comply with the European Union’s proposed Article 11. Ahead of the Copyright Directive being finalized, the company shared how news publishers could see a 45% reduction in traffic.
Google’s first commercial for Super Bowl 2019 was focussed on Translate, and the second of the evening is about Job Search for Veterans. A part of the company’s Grow with Google initiative, veterans and other U.S. service member can quickly find jobs by entering their military occupational specialty codes.
The traditional Chinese calendar, which incorporates 12 zodiac animals, leverages moon cycles to mark the new year. In 2019, this date falls on February 5th and begins the Year of the Pig. To celebrate, Tuesday’s Google Doodle incorporates an AI Experiment that novelly uses your device’s front-facing camera to teach shadow puppetry.
Easter Eggs are found all over Google’s products and often, they’re added for upcoming events. Ahead of the Big Game this weekend, Google Search has just added a “Superb Owl” Easter Egg to poke fun at the common misspelling.
As the past several years have demonstrated, voice is now an important interaction method that’s increasingly natural for users. But before Assistant, Google Search has long featured voice lookup on the web, and it’s now available on the mobile version of google.com.
Google Doodles are often used on the search giant’s homepage to recognize an important date, event, or holiday. Today, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the company has put up a special Doodle from a guest artist.
Since the European Union Copyright Directive was introduced last year, Google and YouTube have been lobbying against it by enlisting creators and users. Ahead of finalized language for Article 11 and 13 this month, Google Search is testing possible responses to the “link tax.”
Back in September, Google marked its 20th anniversary by announcing a slew of new features for its flagship Search product. Some features, like Google Lens in Image Search, have already launched. Today, activity cards to aid and better organize lookups are rolling out.
Featured Snippets in Google Search provide users with direct answers and are leveraged during voice queries on Assistant and Home speakers. On the web, Google sometimes shows videos queued to the relevant timestamp and is now directly highlighting answers on AMP articles when users click-through to the full answer.
Google announced one year ago that it would start mobile-first indexing, with the effort beginning in March. The company today shared that this method for improving mobile Search results is now used for “over half of the pages shown in search results globally.”
The NBA All-Star Game is an annual exhibition match where fans get to pick the players. For the 2019 competition, Google is playing an exclusive role in the voting process that heavily promotes Google Assistant and Search.
Last week, Google posted its annual Year in Search video to highlights 2018’s top search terms. To accompany that list of popular queries, Google today released the “Game of the Year” to test your knowledge of this year’s trends.