Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/05/06/google_search_page_overhaul/

'Minimalist, whimsical' Google search given Bing-like overhaul

Who said a swing to the left was impossible?

By Kelly Fiveash

Posted in Software, 6th May 2010 10:04 GMT

Google has overhauled its search results web page in a clear nod to the layout of Microsoft’s Bing.

The company said yesterday that it had added tools on the left of its lucrative online search estate.

“While we are constantly rolling out small changes and updates, today’s changes showcase the latest evolutions in our search technology, making it easier than ever to find exactly what you're looking for,” said the world’s largest ad broker.

Mountain View has ditched links to images, videos, news and so on that had appeared at the top of the query page, and shifted them to the left of the page - in a move that mirrors Microsoft’s Bing search layout.

Google search goes Bing-like

Spot the difference... OK, the Tories spend more ad quids on Google than they do on Bing. Anything else?

However, the company was quick to highlight that it has been tinkering with the left-hand panel in its Universal Search, Search Options panel and Google Squared over the past three years. And now it’s slotted that idea into its search homepage.

The left-hand column is the most obvious change Google made yesterday. Meanwhile, the firm’s colour palette and logo have also undergone a subtle makeover.

“These changes are slight, keeping our page minimalist and whimsical, but make our overall look more modern,” opined Google search veep Marissa Mayer. ®