Google Tests Sticky Search Bar and Infinite Scrolling
By Kurt Steinbrueck
July 19, 2011 
4 Comments
Google has started testing the idea of having the search bar at the top of the search results remaining at the top of the page regardless of how far down the page you scroll. A handy feature for those who don’t want to scroll up from the bottom of the page, but also a necessary feature if they want to introduce infinite scrolling to the search results.
That’s right, no more trying to get from page 3 to page 1. We’ll all be on page 1!
If you aren’t familiar with infinite scrolling, it is when you can just keep scrolling down and more and more search results are displayed without your ever having to click to the next page. Here is a video showing the Google test:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cWYZculurU
Effects?
What would the effect of infinite scrolling be? Aside from a whole bunch of SEO’s having to change the claims on their sites, the effects on click-through rates could be huge. I think the biggest benefactor will be sites in position 11 in the SERPs. No longer will you have to hope the searcher clicks to page 2. You’ll be right there below number 10. Of course, sites ranked in any of the positions after number 10 would see big increases in click-through rates, if my theory is correct.
Infinite scrolling isn’t new:
I’ve noticed that Facebook has been toying around with infinite scrolling in their wall for a while. Strangely, it seems to come and go randomly. Sometimes I have to click to see more posts and sometimes I don’t. Actually, Google is already using a variation of infinite scrolling already in their image search. If you do a search for an image, you can keep scrolling down for quite a while. As you do so, you’ll periodically see text on the left that indicates the page (page 1, page 2, etc.).
Good, Bad, or Who Cares?
Is the sticky search bar and infinite scrolling a good thing? Will anyone care? I think the sticky search bar is an obvious good thing. Anything that makes it easier to use the search engine, like not having to scroll to find the search bar, is a good thing. It’s even more important if infinite scrolling is also added. Infinite scrolling, on the other hand may not be quite as easy to assess. Personally, I like it. When I’ve used it on Facebook and Google image search I’ve enjoyed it and found it easier to navigate though the content.
I also like infinite scrolling for SEO. I think it will help sites that are new and local sites that are competing against much larger national sites. So, I’m all for these changes.
What do you think?
Do you like the idea of the sticky search bar?
Do you like infinite scrolling in the search results?
How do you think infinite scrolling and the sticky search bar will effect SEO?
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