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Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

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Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#11

Post by EvanDotPro »

smackfu wrote: post #2

The bolding of search terms sure seems like it would be a good idea, but it is very distracting to me.

I find the bold search terms useful and interesting to identify when Google has performed any sort or fuzzy match (synonym, acronym, etc). For some obscure searches, knowing that a fuzzy match is affecting the results might cue me to refine the search with quotes to bring more relevant or precise results to the top.

Maybe I just need to get better at Googling.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#12

Post by Leftium »

Already found user scripts to revert to the old-style results [1].

I also found a user script to conveniently put the search options on the left-hand side again. It saves me two clicks when I limit the date range of the search results. (I had to tweak the scripts to get them to work in tandem.)

Here's what my Google search results look like, now: [2]

[1] http://userscripts.org/scripts/review/409199

[2] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/508947/google-userscript...

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#13

Post by xpose2000 »

I imagine this will lead to more ad clicks since people know by now that the peach background means that's an ad.

Also, it makes more sense to go to the real source: http://searchengineland.com/googles-new-look-search-results-... which has covered this many times before.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#14

Post by oneeyedpigeon »

xpose2000 wrote: post #13

I imagine this will lead to more ad clicks since people know by now that the peach background means that's an ad. Also, it makes more sense to go to the real source: http://searchengineland.com/googles-new-look-search-results-... which has covered this many times before.

I actually find the redesign makes it more obvious what is an ad and what isn't. nothing beats a descriptive labels that tells it like it is, and the subtle background color can vary hugely from monitor to monitor such that it's barely visible on some.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#15

Post by oneeyedpigeon »

Zelphyr wrote: post #8

If you hadn't mentioned I wouldn't have noticed. Guess underlines aren't all that significant an indicator of being a link to me anymore. That or Google's design works as intended.

well, no, not for a list of links that you know in advance is going to be a list of links. Body copy is another matter.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#16

Post by jimmaswell »

Google making meaningless changes in the direction of minimalism like always. I find the google search of today no more usable or intuitive than that of 10 years ago. Minimalism is such a plague. It assumes people can't deal with the mildest hint of non-mission-critical information on the screen, which is false, or at least it used to be; if it catches on too much people's minds might get so rotted that they get confused navigating a web page with more than two buttons. Arguments about "visual noise" are such bumpkis. We've been good at dealing with visual noise forever, before computers, before civilization.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#17

Post by lnanek2 »

smacktoward wrote: post #6

I know the graphic designers have long since won this battle, but I still feel like there's value in underlining links. Underlined links are discoverable -- it's obvious at a glance that they are links, rather than body text. Underlined links are noticeable -- they stand out from a sea of non-underlined text, drawing the eye to them. Underlined links are self-explanatory -- it's obvious what you're supposed to do wit…

Yeah, honestly, at most places I work this would never fly because we support people with disabilities and that means having more than just color indicate something is a clickable link. There are even laws forcing this, ADA, for government and education.

Personally, I think they should at least make the summary clickable if they are going to do this.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#18

Post by arikrak »

I used to disable adblock on Google since I didn't find the ads intrusive. However the ads blends right into the results with the new changes, so I'm re-enabling it. Though overall I assume Google will get a revenue boost from their change to the ads.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#19

Post by NigelTufnel »

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #15
Zelphyr wrote: post #8

If you hadn't mentioned I wouldn't have noticed. Guess underlines aren't all that significant an indicator of being a link to me anymore. That or Google's design works as intended.

well, no, not for a list of links that you know in advance is going to be a list of links. Body copy is another matter.

Wikipedia doesn't underline links either. They're doing fine.

Re: Google’s Search Results Ditch Underlined Links, Increase Font Size

#20

Post by wmblaettler »

I have noticed this for the past few weeks. I guess I am in their test group. It's definitely a step backward from the previous version. At first I thought it was a change to the spacing. It's hard to really see the delineation between results, it all just merges together. It makes it harder to scan the results for the desired one.
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