Google’s new ‘Google Squared’ has been launched, but just in its test phase at the moment (www.google.com/squared). Basically it seems to deliver search results in a matrix with rows and columns… so what? Well I was sceptical – is this just another jolly wheeze from Google or will it have any practical use?
In terms of searching that we are all familiar with, the tried and trusted layout is probably ideal, and a casual searcher might find ’squared’ confusing. I certainly did when I first looked at it. But when I started using it as a research tool for one of my other blogs, it all started to fall into place… I could put topics down the vertical axis and categories allong the horizontal axis. Once I ditched Google’s suggested categories (Star sign?) and put in my own… things started to fall into place.
It does get addictive as you can be interactive in a way that traditional search does not allow. I think I will be getting square eyes soon.
