Google redesigns results page links?

When next you visit Google, you may find you're in for a slightly unwelcome surprise. Run your search, and visit the first google results page  Google have removed the opportunity to then click on the top left hand menu to re-run the search on Images, News, and so on. Also gone is the ability to sign in. What are they thinking of? If you've run a search for <whatever> and you decide that you want to see images you've either got to go back to the home page, choose image search and then start again, or know what the URL is for Google image search.

However you cut it, this is a retrograde move. It's not at all helpful. There is already something of a backlash on Twitter: 'What halfwit came up with that idea?' (well yes, ok that was me), "awful"...

Ah..... breaking news, as I write. Everything seems to have come back again! Links back, everything fine. Was this a glitch? A test? Time will tell.....

Comments

[Alan]

Google's advanced search page contrasts with the simplicity of the homepage and the search results pages. Most people don't even notice the small link placed next to the search box and those who click on it find the page too confusing. Google's Daniel Russell said that 50% of the people who open the advanced search page leave it without completing the search. This is not surprising if you look at the page: you can choose the language of the search results, the formats, the usage rights, but also add numeric ranges and negative keywords to a query. The most useful features can also be accessed using operators, while the others aren't grouped intuitively. Other issues with Google's advanced search page: the search button is not placed at the bottom and the generated URL is unnecessarily long as it contains all the parameters.