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User feedback in Google Search?

I was just doing some searches on Google and noticed something I've never seen or heard about before. One of the links in the main search results had two feedback buttons (see screenshot)

I probabably do hundreds of google searches a day and have never seen this before. Has anybody else seen this pop up in their search results recently?

Update:

I did a search and found that Google implemented this feedback on adwords ads several months ago as a way for users to give feedback and prevent non-relavent ads. I didn't see any mention of it being used in the normal search results, which is where I saw it.

If you click on a link in the main results running adsense and then hit the back button the feedback buttons will appear. I'm assuming this for quality assurance purposes to try and weed-out spammy adsense sites.

Update 2:

It's appearing for all sites when hitting back to the search results regardless of whether the sites run adsense or not.

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Posted by Matt Heaton on 11/16/2006 01:33 PM

Comments (43)

google, seo

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Post is included in group: Blogging & SEO

43 Comments on User feedback in Google Search?

NOV

2006

Nope! You must have broken Google. Can you and James and Ben fix Google too. ;->

Hmmm. I just did four searches and I don't have the feedback buttons; I'll be curious to see what others say

Wow i have seen that myself. I am a big google user as well.

Nope. And I tried in Opera, Firefox, Netscape and IE just in case it was some browser specific thingie. I also tried going to google.com vs. using the google toolbar. Nothing. Nada. BooHoo. I want a feedback button! Waaaaa!

The search term Matt used was "plastic flamingo activerain". As to why he was searching for plastic flamingo's on activerain, I have no idea.

Google Search

Digg this article

btw, this is different than previous sightings people have made regarding user feedback seen in the google adwords areas. This was seen in the organic search section.

Matt,

The url you have on your blog does use Ads, if not Ad Sense. I have done a lot of searches today and have not seen this link yet.

Yes, I've seen (and used) the feedback buttons, they only appear for the sponsored links top and sidebar though.

Dugg: http://digg.com/tech_news/User_feedback_in_Google_Search

Gosh darn it!! Now I am on my 3rd attempt to fold a fancy paper airplane from a Digg article. If I get addicted to Digg like I am AR I will REALLY be in trouble.

I don't see the feedback buttons, I like the theory that Matt broke Google.

I can tell you who wrote an article about the death of pink flamingos if you're looking for the post :-)

Left a comment on digg too never noticed this before.

Hey Jonathon I did a blog on the end of production of plastic flamingos on my other site a while back..hey what will Florida be without our pink plastic flamingos

Google may be testing this new functionality with a small subset of their users. (It's sometimes called A/B testing in the web world.) That would explain why some people see this feature and others don't.

Sent you an email...ROAR...TLW...ROAR!

I was in Google this afternoon doing a bunch of searches and didn't see that at all. After I read your post, I went back and did a few more, and still don't see it......

Ann Cummings

I haven't seen it and I spent $2.34 testing on one of my campaigns.

Same here, I tried several searches for various terms while logged in thru my Google account and then not logged in and... the feedback buttons don't show up. How weird. Maybe you somehow stumbled into the middle of a beta test by accident.

I think that feedback is a great idea.

Matt-not from my toolbar or search either...odd.

ps Terri I liked the flamingo(e)s. I cannot believe the news didnt cover their extinction better than they did! If it werent for your post I may have missed an important piece of history. Thank God for AR.

So what mods do you have on your browser? IE 6/7? Firefox?add-ons, etc...
I use google all the time and have not seen this particular option pop-up....

I tried it logged in to "my google" page - nada.
Tried, logged out, Nada.
clicked on a few ads - Nada

NADA, NADA, NADA...

Nada= spanish for nothing :)

Havn't seen it on googole yet, but thanks for sharing! Very interesting!

Is google getting lame like MSN and Yahoo? Whats the reason for this?

Well, it is a shame that the only source for plastic flamingos went out of business.

Na i havent noticed it yet. It seems that G is looking to refine and target ads for paying customers.

I have seen this before, but not sure how it ties in to relevancy...

... Can't .... Find .... Feedback .... button ....

Rich & Teri- Go HERE. You will thank me.

I have not seen it either, though now i know i will be spending my weekend looking for it.

NOV

2006

What browser/platform are you on Matt?

Do you have Google Toolbar? Were you logged into any Google service? What's the default search bar engine on your browser? How did you search - through browser search bar, Google Toolbar or Google search page?

The important issue (if this is authentic) is whether Google knew who you were or what your search history was.

I have the Google toolbar. No such link on the search I pulled. Are you just pulling our legs?

Never seen it and don't know much about ad-sense

I think this may be a red herring rather than a plastic flamingo. What say you Matt?

Richard, I did have the google toolbar installed, I don't think I was logged into the service. I'm not seeing those buttons this morning from the same machine. I must have been selected for one of their A/B testing groups on the particular datacenter I was hitting.

Ok, I am thoroughly convinced you broke Google, Matt. That's ok, we still like you.

Matt,

I bet you are right with the testing. They may be getting ready to do another upgrade and want to see if a feedback button is worth adding.

Did anybody find whether it had to do with sponser sites or not. I have not seen it. Matt you are special. but I will keep looking

NOV

2006

I've only seen that button once. Perhap it is a test that is only periodic

We think that it would be a great idae. we are ebay sellers, and that is a great part of that business that works very well

NOV

2006

I searched and searched and found a lot of pink flamingos but no feedback button. Guess you stumbled across something new. (leave it to an ActiveRainer to find a loophole...)

NOV

2006

I have not seen it yet...and I just upgraded to Explorer 7.0.... is there something I am missing?

NOV

2006

I have had the survey question once, but that was it:) Love ActiveRain! Hoping to grow my business with you. Thanks Matt!

APR

2007

1) I tried to search for "REPORT SCAMS!" I did not find one link to INTERPOL! or "GOOD" ones in the US! Seeing as I have received scam email from the UK, Denmark, Hong Kong, Russia and a Soldier supposedly hiding in Spain! I was curious as how to report them! Many "LINKS" ended up with bad email addresses! So I finally decided to re-read the letters and relate them to a website In doing so I found that the majority had Yahoo email addresses, based in the UK! So I searched the UK for authorities along with INTERPOL, while at INTERPOL - I got an addy for Russia! It would be nice if "search" included Maybe specific scams that were located at these sites!

a) African-Nigerian SCAM

b) U K LOTTO SCAMS

2) Why don't Google's web pages conform to I E 7.0 standards? at 100% the screen overflows! As do many sites! I think Microsoft again "broke something that wasn't broken! OLD I E 6.0 worked great! I also notice they have "updates" and "fixes" for VISTA already! I am stuck with XP that limps along When I installed SP 2 - I lost my printer even after upgrading to new drivers! I disabled their "HUNK OF JUNK FIREWALL!" and got McAfee Internet Security Suite - ALL better now! I will not upgrade my system to VISTA! It is already broke!

APR

2007

I hadn't seen that before. I will definitely make us of it. Thank you for the heads up!

MAY

2008

Intresting. I hadnt seen one yet.

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Matt Heaton

Bothell, WA

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