Addoursearch.com | Featured Sites

SearchMash.com - Google’s Secret Public Search Engine

URL:
http://www.searchmash.com

Info:
Alexa | Whois

Submitted by:
007

SearchMash.com is an experimental search engine by Google that they use play with different search technologies and concepts.  SearchMash is a unique site in that it constantly changes the interface, features, and search technology to figure out what works and what doesn’t.  The site has a very unassuming interface, but this hides some very interesting developments underneath.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Similar to Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks or the Government’s Area 51… Google uses SearchMash.com to test the latest technologies and techniques out of the public eye (sort of). The first thing you’ll notice about the site is that looks nothing like a Google product.  As a matter of fact, Google isn’t mentioned anywhere except for the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service pages.  There’s no Adsense, no Google logo, or even the classic Google “I’m feeling Lucky” button.  Everything about this site is unassuming and doesn’t scream “high technology” like you’d normally associate with Google.  However, like most secret areas, this is probably intentional.

An Ever Changing Landscape

One of the unique features of searchmash is that it’s UI (User Interface) is constantly changing.  To keep track of the changes, you can visit the Features page that tells you what’s new and in turn you can tell them what works and what doesn’t.  In addition to the features page, scattered around the site are these small feedback widgets that ask the simple question; Is this Useful? Yes/No.

At the time of writing this post, the SearchMash features include:

• “Start Typing”: This feature allows you to just start typing at any time and anywhere while on the site and it will automatically replace the current search term.  This means that you no longer have to click on the search field to type in your query.  As you type, it will automatically replace whatever is there.
• Hide details: There’s a small button on the top right hand corner that says “hide details”.  By clicking on this button, it hides the description of the page and leaves you with a list of titles.
• Search a Specific Web site: On each of the results, right below the title there is a link with the site URL, that when clicked on allows you to search that site with the keywords you’re looking for.  Basically, it’s a shortcut that adds the “site:” parameter to the search results.
• “Other Types” Sidebar: This is a little widget sidebar that puts the other types of Google search functions on the same page.  This is an experiment in what is called “Integrated Search”, meaning it gives you the option to see other results like images, video, blogs, and Wikipedia, all on the same page.
• More Results: At first, this seems like it would be a simple pagination link that will bring you to the next page. However, by clicking on the link or pressing the space bar on your keyboard, it actually just expands the current page with additional results.

In closing, if you’re a big Google fan or you’re interested in User Interface design, this is definately a search you want to add to your browser. Even though “officially” it may not exist.