Google is testing a simpler search results page with 'ten blue links' in some parts of Europe, specifically for hotel queries. This means less richness in results and more direct links, often to travel aggregators. The test is in response to demands from some sites and aims to understand user experience and traffic impact.
Google has announced that it is running a 'short test' on how it displays search results in the European Union. For users in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia, Google Search will remove the rich results around hotels and revert to a link list of websites similar to the old 'ten blue links' format from the early days of Google.
The purpose of this test is to understand the impact on user experience and traffic to websites with such drastic changes. As Google mentions, this move comes as some sites continue to demand more changes in Google Search, such as a complete ban on anything richer than a simple blue link to a website.
Google says that it has already removed useful features from the search results page, such as flight information, and reduced the functionality of some services that users have come to rely on, illustrating the tension between user expectations and site demands.
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