Google is testing yet another new look for its search results pages, this time adding more white space beneath the search box where the word “Search” appears in red beneath the Google logo and the number of results appear under the search box.
Google is testing yet another new look for its search results pages, this time adding more white space beneath the search box where the word “Search” appears in red beneath the Google logo and the number of results appear under the search box.
The new design also removes the icons from Google’s vertical links (Everything, Images, Videos, News, etc.). Also of note is that Google now only shows four suggested searches for Google Instant, and these suggestions fit perfectly in this new area.
Here’s what the results have looked like since the introduction of the Google+ bar. Note the icons at left, as well as the less prominent location of the “About x results” notation:
And here’s what I’m seeing now with the red “Search” and the “About x results” in a new spot floating above a horizontal line:
And here’s a zoomed in version of the changes:
The placement of the number of search results seems a bit strange and out of place, and I preferred having the icons, which were officially introduced in 2010, on the vertical links menu.
This test must be rather large, as several people are reporting seeing it, though some still report that they are seeing the slightly older SERP.
Certainly, this could have a rather large impact on SEO and PPC click-through rates if this becomes the default Google search interface. On searches with a large number of AdWords ads, organic results could be pushed completely off the screens of some searchers, allowing the PPC ads to completely dominate Google’s “above the fold” results.
What do you think of this new look for Google?