Google has once again made a change to the search landscape, this time shifting search filter options from the left rail of results to the top of the page just below the search field. They’ve already announced this is a permanent change as opposed to a beta test, and they are positioning the inspiration behind it being to provide a more consistent user experience across devices. But you’re probably like me – too cynical to accept that answer at face value.
One change by Google almost always sets up a second or third change by Google, so if there’s motive beyond the “consistency” explanation, what might be coming next?
- Ads on the left rail? It sure looks odd to see the left rail completely bare, especially if you search a high volume term that has many ads taking up the right rail. Google’s made lots of moves this year to maximize monetization opportunities, and with disappointing earnings recently, they may be eager to tap into the real estate that section of the page offers. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see some form of advertising on that side, but maybe something different from their standard pay-per-click text-based unit. Perhaps more image ads (when searches are conducive to them) or some sort of premium local unit?
- More geo-targeted searches? One of the most interesting things to me about this change is that it takes the location selection field that has occupied the left side fairly prominently for a while now, and hidden it in the “search tools” area of this new top bar. I have a feeling more people are going to have trouble finding that, and this will lead to more geo-modified searches. Not anything of 2007 levels, but I think we could see an increase, which could create an opportunity to buy these terms at lower costs.
- Google+ content? Google still wants to increase Google+ adoption, and past attempts to push it front and center, like “Search Plus Your World” and converting Google Places pages to Google+ Local pages don’t seem to have done the trick. So what if the left rail contained a sort of newsfeed of G+L content? Perhaps this is a longshot, but it’s certainly a possibility considering the help the platform needs.
Perhaps Google really is just trying to deliver a cleaner, more platform-consistent experience. But I know that when I look at that empty left rail, I can’t see it staying that way for long – not when there’s money to be made…