google – UrFix's Blog

Google Results Are Now Instant!

Google Instant is a new search enhancement which shows results as you type. Google is pushing the limits of their technology and infrastructure to help everyuone get better search results, faster .Google’s key technical insight was that people type slowly, but read quickly, typically taking 300 milliseconds between keystrokes, but only 30 milliseconds to glance at another part of the page. This means that you can scan a results page while you type.

The most noticeable change is that you get to the right content much faster than before because you won’t have to finish typing your full search term, or even press “search.” Another shift is that seeing results as you type helps you formulate a better search term by providing instant feedback. You can now adapt your search on the fly until the results match exactly what you want. In time, we may wonder how search ever worked in any other way.

Voice Search

Use Google Chrome to speak your search queries instead of typing. Head to Google.com and click on the gray microphone in the search box.

Instant on Images

Google Instant is a search enhancement that shows results as you type. This experiment enables Instant on the Google Images search results page.

+1 button

Use +1 to give something your public stamp of approval, so friends, contacts, and others can find the best stuff when they search. Get recommendations for the things that interest you, right when you want them, in your search results.

Keyboard shortcuts

Navigate search results quickly and easily, minimizing use of your mouse.

Accessible View

Navigate search results quickly and easily, with just your keyboard. As you navigate, items are magnified for easier viewing. If you use a screen reader or talking browser, the relevant information is spoken automatically as you navigate.

Visit Google to opt-in

Your current experiment is no longer available. Try out a different one below. Note that you can only join ONE experiment at a time.

Try it out today http://www.google.com/experimental/index.html

Google (plus) +1 Is ready for Launch

The +1 button is shorthand for “this is pretty cool” or “you should check this out.”

According to Google “The +1 button makes it easy for visitors to recommend your pages to friends and contacts exactly when their advice is most useful — on Google search. As a result, you could get more and better qualified site traffic.”

I received an email from Google this morning titled “Google Webmaster Central: The +1 button code is ready for your site”

You asked to be notified when the +1 button code was available, and today’s the day!

I felt so exited and couldn’t wait to implement in here and on all my other websites. I kinda see it like Google decided to copy Facebook’s “like” button let’s see how it goes them.

I wanna see MORE traffic soon Google ;)

Google DoubleClick DART Cookie Opt Out

Opt out of interest-based advertising

In case you aren’t aware of this, every time you visit a site that has Google Adsense on it, and every time you visit a site that uses the DoubleClick ad management system, you have the potential for being tracked via a cookie that is injected to your computer. The cookie is known as the DoubleClick DART cookie, and, in fact, there is a very good chance that you are being tracked by one of these cookies.

Put another way, this cookie identies your computer with a unique value, and whenever the computer with that value (i.e. your computer) hits a site with the DoubleClick DART cookie, it’s tracked. That way when all of the data collected by your cookie is analyzed as a whole, a picture of your browsing habits emerges. Do you spend a lot of time on Amazon and B&N.com? Perhaps you’ll start seeing more ads for books. Do you spend most of your time on home improvement sites? You may see more ads for home-building and DIY companies.

What is the DoubleClick DART cookie?

The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served on the websites of its partners, such as websites displaying AdSense ads or participating in Google certified ad networks. When users visit a partner’s website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user’s browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help better serve and manage ads on the publisher’s site(s) and across the web.

“Google uses cookies to improve your online experience, including the display of more relevant ads.”

When the cookie is set on your browser, it allows Google to gather information about your browser’s interaction with a given ad. This information gets recorded in a log that looks something like this:

time: 06/Aug/2008 12:01:32
ad_placement_id: 105
ad_id: 1003
userid: 0000000000000001
client_ip: 123.45.67.89
referral_url: "http://youtube.com/categories"

To Opt Out of Google’s DoubleClick Dart Cookie head to Google’s Privacy Center

Users can opt out of some, but not all, of these cookies in one location at the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out website at www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.

Because publisher sites and laws across countries vary, we’re unable to suggest specific privacy policy language. However, you may wish to review resources such as the Network Advertising Initiative for guidance on drafting a privacy policy.

“Google uses cookies to improve your online experience, including the display of more relevant ads.”