Embedded Search Box In Google Search Results

| Created: May 27th, 2008
Search Engine Optimisation 16 Comments

I recently read a post which picked up a humourous (but offensive) result returned by Google Search via the sitelinks feature.

I thought I’d check it out to see if it had been fixed, either by Urban Dictionary or by Google themselves. However, when I tried the search, I didn’t get any sitelinks at all. Instead, I saw something I’d never seen before: a search box, embedded in the search results!

A picture says a thousand words, so here it is:

Embedded Search Box In Search Results

Using the embedded search box performs a Google Search only on the site in question (in this case Urban Dictionary). The results are the same as if you had used the Google Search site feature in the normal search box.

For example, I typed “blogging” in the embedded search box and clicked the “Search urbandictionary.com” button and got the following results:

Results Of Using Embedded Search Box

Note the “blogging site:urbandictionary.com” in the main search box. This indicates that the embedded search box simply performs a normal Google site search on the site in question.

I’m sure that other people out there have noticed this and blogged about it before me, but I’ve never heard of it or seen it before, so I figured it was worth writing about.

I guess this is a new feature Google has introduced to improve the usefulness of their search results. It probably won’t add much value to experienced users who could just use the Google Search site feature, but it may be useful for the average user who doesn’t know how to use this.

16 responses on “Embedded Search Box In Google Search Results

  1. peter@Peter Answers

    That is interesting, I wonder if they only offer this for sites where search would be a key component? Obviously a dictionary site like that would be a good candidate. I just did a search on “dictionary” and the first result for reference.com also included such an embedded search link. As does Wikipedia. As does New York Times, jeez which ones don’t? In fact after a little more checking it looks to me as though this is now a standard feature for any site that has site links.

    1. Stephen Cronin Post author

      Peter, you seem to be right – it seems to come with site links… I just hadn’t noticed it before.

      I’ve now seen this written about going back to early March, but it wasn’t widely reported as far as I can tell…

  2. Sarika@Ann Arbor Web Site Marketing

    I just tried it and it still gives the same result. I tried some other sites. The same happens when you search for wikipedia or dictionary. Other non reference but very popular sites (amazon, alexa, dmoz) do not have this feature. Guess its just for informative sites. A good feature nonetheless.

  3. Chris Cox@opsec

    I’ve been seeing that more and more, and for the life of me I can’t figure out how Google decides when to use it and when to use the “traditional” results.

    I just read Sarika’s post, and that would make sense. But again, I wonder how they determine that. My site has a lot of reference material and definitions, but Google doesn’t give me the search box love. Oh, well 🙂

    1. Dave@DIY

      Yes, i have noticed this also with Youtube. I don’t find it very helpful. Its easier to just go to youtube and search that way.

  4. Gus

    I never does and this information is special for me, just cause I start to work heard with my own resourse. Thank you for this topic.

  5. holly mann

    does this search box gives any significant boost to adsense earnings I plan to use it but after many people say its useless I stopped

  6. m coles@st albans offices

    I always thought hte oddest site links were coca cola’s. It returns Brand Fact Sheets and the United Arab Emirates in its 7 site links. I think they need to sort out their information architecture somehow …

  7. Rocky@rate my professor

    Google has a paid version of some site search which is like $100 for 5000 pages. I wonder if we buy that service, if that’s what adds the search box on their search results.

  8. tony@Uk web hosting.

    I guess google thinks people will find exact article they are looking for faster. Not sure how many people use it. Looks like only authority sites have it listed.

  9. Amandeep Singh

    hey guys,

    can anyone help in guiding me how to add that search box in our results.
    i want to add this search box to my website galgotiasuniversity.edu.in.

    is there any processor to add the sitesearch box, or google itself search the site for site search.

    Regards,
    Amandeep Singh

  10. zeeshannaqi

    how do i insert google search bar in my search results, I use wordpress and my site fiz-x.com.

    Any help will be appreciated. Thank you so much

    Lisa Kauffman