It certainly seems like a week can't go by without Google launching a new product or tying up a new deal with a strategic partner which stretches the company's focus away from its core business of web search. From the recent Google Spreadsheets and Google Checkout to the just-confirmed purchase of YouTube (in addition to its own Google Video service), one might be forgiven for thinking that Google have set their sights on much more than just search.
Indeed, the fact that the American company are actually trying to change the English language so that the verb 'Googling' isn't just synonymous with searching for things on the web is another axe they are intending to grind in order to forward this notion. Therefore, it's almost somewhat refreshing to see Google trying to improve the way that it serves its search results - the main reason why Google got to where they are in the first place.
Ok, this latest foray into improving Google's web results has been done on the quiet and it isn't revolutionary, but the launch of http://www.searchmash.com / is a live experiment which could give some hints as to where Google might be heading in the future with its user interface. The site is basically a combination of neat user-focused features which come together to make the SERPs a combination of traditional text results and image results (hence: mash).
This might not sound ground-breaking but there is one feature which is quite inventive and could have some legs if Google do indeed decide to run with it. SearchMash allows users to reorder their search results and drag and drop them within the browser, meaning users can custom build their own search results dependent on what sites they feel should be at the top.
Google themselves don't seem sure what they intend to do with the trends this feature might throw up right now (they coyly write that "this is just for fun right now, but we have some ideas for how to use this" on the features page), but it does pose some interesting questions. How SEO companies might try and optimise their clients' sites if every user's interface has different orders of results is one potential issue, but personalised results have been in operation for some time now already. Interestingly if you use SearchMash and move a result in your browser, you will notice that if you search on that query again the site doesn't remember your change, so the concept is still very much in its infancy stage to say the least.
Of course, in the long run, Google will no doubt have some reliable data on how users rate the sites in their index, meaning they can prioritise which sites (and paid adverts) people click on and potentially allow users to share their edited 'favourites' lists as recommendations to friends. The site has many options for users to feedback to Google on what they've thought of the new features, so it does seem they are especially keen to get views on how these changes have been received.
Although it's worth mentioning that you won't find a Google logo in sight on SearchMash, it is clear from the privacy page that SearchMash is owned and operated by Google. The lack of Google branding is designed to gather more objective data from the site (again backing up the experimental nature of the project). Furthermore, the disclaimer points at how they intend to bring in feeds from other companies into the project, which could mean that it's not an entirely Google run operation. Experimental indeed.
Finally, it's worth remembering that there are no guarantees that any of this will make its way into Google's traditional web search results any time soon. But the signs are that if Google are keen to set up experimental playgrounds like this - where they can record data on how to improve their web results and interact with other Web 2.0 businesses - then they might well remain on top of search for many years to come, as well as fight effective battles on video, software and whatever else they turn their hand to.
