Google launches universal search - integrating video, books, and shopping

Google said on Wednesday that the search results would include those of YouTube video, local shopping information and book contents. The broader search results mark the beginning of what Google calls "universal search", which allows users to search all results on an easy-to-use page. Currently, the universal search is still limited to relevant websites, videos, pictures, news, maps and books. As Google upgrades its infrastructure, new data will be added.

Google hopes that "universal search" can solve the problem of too many functions. For some people, the feeling of Google has already become a bit scary and confusing, which may drag down growth. Google is also shutting down some services that are used the least. Marissa Mayer, vice president of Google, said: "Sometimes, you need a search engine to use our search engine."

The "universal search" aims to make use of Google's technical advantages. However, there are risks. Any changes in the Google search engine may cause dissatisfaction among loyal users, leading to customer churn. Google will soon automatically translate non-English searches into English for web searches, and then translate all results into the language used in the search terms. Google also said that it can now test-run these features before launching new ones.