Have you noticed that your Google results page is a little different than it was a few months ago? The changes aren’t that obvious, but they’re significant, and they can help you get the information you need quicker and easier. The key to it all is the “Show Options” link right above the top search result. Click on that, and a whole menu of options opens up in the left column of the search page. You can refine your searches based on how recent they are, whether you want only pages you’ve visited before, only pages you haven’t visited before, more shopping sites, fewer shopping sites, and many other options.
If you’re trying to refine a search, but you’re not exactly sure how to refine it, you can click on the “Wonder Wheel” option. This generates a graphic representation of search results that show up as spokes coming off a hub that contains your search terms. If one of the spokes looks interesting or relevant, you can click it and it will generate its own little Wonder Wheel. The Wonder Wheel has actually been around for almost a year now. I admit I never saw it until recently.
These changes to Google results pages are more evolutionary than revolutionary, but they are generating some excitement, as you can see if you search Twitter for “new Google results design.” For researchers in particular, these tools make finding stuff out quicker, easier, and more efficient.