Google fixes search glitch, tests interface changes

Google said it has fixed a glitch on its search page that displayed a Google Desktop promotion pop-up window and prevented people from navigating beyond the first page of search results. Andy Beal wrote about it Wednesday on his Marketing Pilgrim blog.

Google said in an e-mail statement: "Earlier today we learned of a technical glitch in a Google Desktop product promotion that may have affected a small percentage of users' ability to click through to subsequent pages of search results. We worked quickly to fix the issue, which has now been resolved."

Separately, in an article published Wednesday on the InfoWorld Web site, Juan Carlos Perez at IDG News Service wrote about indications of a Google search makeover. "Some Web users are reporting seeing a reformatted Google results page that has the links to specialized search pages listed in the left-hand column instead of placed horizontally across the top of the search box," he wrote. "In addition, these links to the image, groups, news, Froogle, and local search pages are each accompanied by a horizontal bar graph with a gray background and a green fill."

In an e-mail response to questions, Google confirmed that it was experimenting with changes to the search interface. "We're continually testing new interfaces and features to enhance the user experience," the statement said. "This is one such test, which only a small percentage of users will see. We don't have any additional details to share at this time."