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Google Launches 'Universal' Search: Page 2 of 4

To illustrate the changes this brings to the user experience, Mayer demonstrated how a search for "Nosferatu" returns not only links to text documents about the 1922 vampire classic but the film itself, playable on the search results page with a single click.

With Google's search results page going multimedia, it may only be a matter of time before Google ads on the results page follow suit. "We don't have anything to announce today," said Mayer, "but I do think this opens the door to the introduction of rich media to the search results page."

Google also today announced new search navigation features. Faced with a search term like "Python," the Google search results page will now include a strip of contextual links just below the search box to narrow the search, such as Blog, Books, Groups, and Code. Google also made its navigation bar more consistent across its various applications.

In addition, Google introduced Google Experimental, a place where users can try experimental Google search features prior to official public release. For instance, Google is working on a timeline feature that sorts search results by the time period referred to in the document. This is not necessarily the same thing as sorting documents by the date the file was actually created.

The significance of these announcements can be measured by the seniority of the Google personnel in attendance at the press event: Elliot Schrage, VP of global communications and public affairs; Craig Silverstein, Google's technology director (and first employee); Udi Manber, VP of engineering; Marissa Mayer, VP of search products & user experience; and Alan Eustace, senior VP of engineering and research, not to mention other Google engineers.