ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How Google Improves Its Search Engine within Usability Labs

Updated on May 1, 2013
There are usability labs in the US.
There are usability labs in the US. | Source

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.

Video Synopsis

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.

The BBC Video

Google Marketing Tactic

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.

Reader Poll

Is Google your primary search engine?

See results

Importance of Users

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.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)