How Google Improves Its Search Engine within Usability Labs

The BBC recently posted a video titled How Google Fine Tunes Its Search Engine, which gives an inside look into how internet powerhouse Google improves its search engine. The video is also a smart marketing tactic by Google, Inc.

The video, at just over three minutes in length, features BBC reporter Sumi Das participating in tests on a Google product. The video explains that Google, Inc. tests products in usability labs in order to improve the search capabilities.

The reporter helps test the search engine on the Samsung Galaxy 10.0 tablet under the direction of John Boyd, who is the head of User Experience Research for Google. Boyd explains that Google, Inc. measures the usability of products such as this tablet by observing reactions of real users of the products within labs. The reporter goes through the testing process, performing search queries and other tasks on the product under the watchful eyes of Boyd and laboratory cameras.

It is likely not a coincidence that Google allows the BBC into its labs, but instead a smart marketing tactic by the internet giant. The video appears on the BBC Website and YouTube, both of which receive several daily views. With video views comes the promotion of Google. A person who watches the clip learns positive information about the company.

Google shows a great deal of transparency in the video as viewers learn that the large company welcomes handlers of its products into the usability labs. The footage illustrates that public opinions are important to the large company and do play a role in the final product. The company seems more approachable as well by allowing people to see the labs.

The existence of the test labs illustrate that Google, Inc. does consider its users to be important.

Cameras in the facilities catch the reactions of subjects as they use the new products. Boyd explains that the company can stream testing sessions live to remote locations to analyze footage further. Much weight is given to users’ opinions about how to improve its search engine and do affect what hits the market.

The BBC video How Google Fine Tunes Its Search Engine is a short video that is full of useful information for anyone interested in how Google operates. The usability labs are a key way that the company improves its search engine. The video is a smart way for the internet company to market itself and illustrates the importance of user opinion for improving its products.