New At Google: More File Types, PageSnapshots For Some, & Webmaster Help

Not content with being the only major search engine to list PDF files, Google now lists Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from across the web, as well as Rich Text Format and PostScript files. Chris Sherman has a full report on the new file formats in the SearchDay article, below.

Google is also testing “Page Snapshots” with a small number of its users. These are small thumbnail images that appear to the left of each listing. They show in thumbnail format what the listed page looks like.

Don’t go trying to look for an option to see this feature! It’s simply something that will happen to about one percent of Google’s users, and only to those who are detected to have high-bandwidth connections. The company says that if response to the thumbnails is positive, then they may be rolled out as a standard feature.

By the way, if you are seeing them and don’t like them, use the “Preference” link from the Google home page, then switch off the “Page Snapshots” option.

Meanwhile, as Google’s popularity has swelled, so has the interest in getting listed in the service from webmasters. To help with this interest, Google has been moving forward on a number of fronts. It has posted new information for site owners, opened an automated removal tool and even created an online forum for Google questions.

Last month, the “Google Information for Webmasters” area was unveiled. It provides answers to many questions webmasters have about how their pages are listed with Google, such as:

• Getting Listed
• Not Listed
• Incorrect Listing
• Rank Questions
• Dos and Don’ts
• Facts & Fiction
• FAQ

The ability to remove pages, page descriptions or cached copies of pages has also been made easier for webmasters. In particular, an automatic removal tool went up in the summer that lets you remove web pages, images, dead links or newsgroup posts in about 24 hours.

A Google newsgroup also opened in early September. It’s meant to be for all things Google, not just webmaster issues. Nevertheless, site owners may find help with listing issues there.

Google says it doesn’t monitor the group on a regular basis but rather now and then. It primarily relies on Google users to help each other, though it will provide assistance directly, if seen as necessary or useful. Google says it also may break out sub-groups for particular topics in the future, if appropriate.