Google Search update turns spotlight on YouTube for music searches

Google wants to make sure you keep using its services with a new update for its search engine. If you search for a song on Google, a Google Now-style card will appear with a link to the YouTube video plus information such as artist, album, and release date.

Search Engine Watch reports the feature has been available since September last year. A Google spokesperson said, "This was already available in September 2013 when you searched for an artist and then clicked on a song—you’d see a preview of the music video if it was available to display. Yesterday we made it easier to get to—you can now just search for a song directly and see the video screenshot right away.”

Google adds French, Japanese, German responses for mobile Search app

Google has updated the mobile version of its Search app for Android and iOS to add other languages for its voice search feature. You no longer just receive answers in English. The app can now answer questions for you in French, Japanese and German.

Source: Google Inside Search

Google updates search algorithm

Google has introduced a new algorithm, codenamed Hummingbird, for the first time in three years. It improves the way the search engine interprets your requests. It has been up and running for a month already and has affected 90 percent of Google searches.

The new algorithm is said to be particularly useful for longer, more complex inquiries and provides a more natural interaction with the search engine. The answers to your questions this time are based more on an intelligent understanding of your searches than an indexing of websites done by the previous algorithm Caffeine. Hummingbird understands the relationship and concepts of words rather than just taking these words at face value.

Source: BBC

Google updates Search with synonyms and translation

Google made a quick announcement on its Google+ page about a new update for finding definitions using Search. When you enter “define:” followed by the word you want defined or use Voice Search to inquire about definitions, synonyms of the word will appear as well as examples of how to use the word. 

Also, a dropdown menu for the word you asked for will now have a translate feature. Once you select a language, all your future searches will be translated into that language in that section below the dropdown. You can change your preferred language any time, of course. Both features are available on desktop and mobile versions.