Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Google, known more for its relative silence than its grand Steve Jobs-y “one more thing” type presentations, gave onlookers an extensive “Search Factory Tour” yesterday via webcast. Two and a half hours later, there was a lot of news to report.
Google’s vice president of search products and user experience, Marissa Mayer, emceed the event, which would include revelations about local search, universal search, Google Health, and ads on Google Image search.
Presenters at the event included R.J. Pittman, Google’s search product management director and co-founder of Web 2.0 search company Groxis, who spoke about Google’s experiment with placing display ads with images; Johanna Wright, director of search quality, who relayed where Google is going with universal search; and Microsofty-turned-Googler, Carter Maslan, who said local search isn’t as easy as one might think.
Mayer provided the one-more-thing by officially unveiling Google Health, which allows people to store their medical history online and decide which medical services providers can access it - a sort of data portability for your health records.
Rather than detail all of the announcements in one dense post, we’ve divided them up into nice digestible chunks.
| Convert visitors with Google Analytics - free |
Google Flies With Universal Search
There’s no going back to ten blue links on a page of search results. People want more for their queries, says Google, and they want to give it to them.
Read the rest…
| Give us your comments! |
Marissa Mayer officially lifted the lid off Google Health, leverages partnerships with medical organizations and pharmacies to help patients manage their health records online. The idea is that new doctors and/or approved pharmacists can access records without a hassle. Privacy, of course, will be a concern.
Read the rest…
| Give us your comments! |
Google Sees Big Challenges With Local Search
“We used to joke about Google helping you find your keys,” said Google’s vice president of search products and user experience, Marissa Mayer. Mayer was referring to the various advances Google is making in localized search products, and defers to Carter Maslan to talk about specific challenges in creating true and natural local search results.
Read the rest…
| Give us your comments! |
Google To Place Ads With Images
Google is experimenting with display ads to be placed alongside Google Image results. Contextually matching ads with images is a difficult task and requires some pretty sophisticated technology. Add human variations in labeling and you’ve got a recipe for confusing search robots.
Read the rest…
Write a comment
You need tologin.