Internet giant Google has just introduced changes to its searching process that will allow users to refine search terms into narrow categories.
While the new search functions are primarily designed to help users, they will present a number of opportunities and challenges to companies' search engine optimisation and reputation management strategies. The changes also reinforce the idea that on the web, content is king.
Last week the company added an inconspicuous link, titled "show options" that appears under the search bar on a normal page of results.
Once clicked, it opens a side bar in the user's window offering a variety of search options. New features include the ability to search within just videos or even reviews.
For example, if a user wanted to read about a particular product just from discussions in online forums, they would type their query into the search bar, click on the new "show options" link and then hit "forums".
Other additions include the "timeline" feature, which will group results based on dates referred to within those pages.
Another feature, the new "Wonder wheel", allows users to explore related search topics. A user's search words will appear in a circle, with related topics branching out into new circles of their own.
This allows users to explore related searches without modifying the actual words used in the original search.
But perhaps the most significant feature of the new additions is the ability to search results by date. A user, for example, can search for results posted on the internet within the last week, or even the last 24 hours.
While the changes may seem relatively minor and logical for Google, experts believe they are part of Google's attempts to keep pace with the trend known as "real-time search", which has become a feature of social networking sites.
