Google Instant Previews Homes In on Users Search Targets
by Clint Boulton
Hiking in Yosemite
Google Instant shows these results for “hiking in Yosemite.” But what if you want to drill down further into the results without actually clicking on them?
Instant Previews
Instant Previews captures the essence of gleaning more information before you commit to that click. Users simply click the magnifying glass to pop out the visual search.
Visual Search
Note the pop-out to the right. When you find a result you like, mouse over it and the preview pops out.
Call-out
Call-outs with words from the keyword search are highlighted in orange.
Multiple Call-outs
Instant Previews also offers multiple call-outs where relevant keywords appear.
Increased Relevancy
Even if a relevant highlight is at the bottom of a long page, Instant Previews will display it higher so users can find it.
Maps
Need a map? Instant Previews will provide one where relevant if you ask for it in your query.
Charts
Instant Previews also surfaces tables, charts and lists where appropriate.
Lyrics
This tool is especially useful for previewing song lyrics without making you click on them first.
Disambiguate People
Instant Previews lets users find people with common names without clicking around. Raj Krishnan is a common name, Google says, but here the searcher wants to find the Raj who happens to be a Google search product manager.