Google is now MODIFYING the query you enter to what they think you should search for.
 

Anyone noticed that recently G has begun to quietly change or even remove words from the search query you entered?

For example, I entered the search query "create maps using aerial photo"

At the bottom of the page, I find this: Tip: These results include the word "make". Show results that include only "create"

They CHANGED the query from "create maps using aerial photo" to "make maps using aerial photo" !! :helpme

Another query, and they REMOVE a word. I enter "former preston workshops site"

They say... Tip: These results do not include the word "former". Show results that include "former".

At what point does this change from a gentle guiding hand to "we know all and this is what you must search for"??? :Oh crap :disgust

Comments?

(Note - the highly specific search terms are included here because I couldn't find anything more generic that caused the same behaviour)

interesting change

Aye, I have noticed that... I like it for searching.... but I hate it for seo. The are clearly pushing people into a focal point that they know is better quality and can be controlled by higher valued sites that we can't beat out. Thus less spam listings for the user and better personal search results for return visits.

Then again, it has already given me new ideas :)

they don't substitute but rather Include supplimenting synonym - having dealt with search engine technologies before, I find it neat.

for a very specific searches its always good idea to use advanced search methods.

Google won't restrict you or change anything for you - they full well aware of potential outcome of such action.

Can you reed?

Another query, and they REMOVE a word. I enter "former preston workshops site"

They say... Tip: These results do not include the word "former". Show results that include "former".

google is always descreet and thats what i like about it... it doesn't do anything shady, even if they appended something - they tell you about it

looking at your query here's what i realised.. you're looking for
former preston workshops site - you are not interested in any other former things..
google searched for it and provided this result
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
which only has one Former preston phrase - so it looked for former preston, but have found only one, at the end of results google is trying to help you more and find out if you want to see whats more out there with +former keyword.. but when you look at those results.. they are less relative for your search query..

no i can't read) i know this google change is more trouble for SEO, but my user experience with google as a surfer just went top a notch.

Can you explain the removal of words then? It's not like "former" is a redundant or common word. :2 cents:

Maybe it's regional, but I can see at least 3 results that have the phrase "former preston workshops" (when I actually force +former)

I see the same thread on another board is already indexed - it's been 2 hours. :winkwink:

see post above.. its easy to spot if you anylize both results the original query results and their suggestion.

there have not been removal.. as the very first result CONSISTS of word Formal - but that's the only one they have relative with rest of keywords in query. they only thing i would not use in their case such wording "we have removed such word from query" - in realty they found limited number of them - unsatisfactory. so the only thing wrong is they worded the TIP incorrectly - because above that its all good - as seen in results.

of course.. you may find some relativity in their suggested forced query - that why they offer you this TIP.. the pages we see in the tipped result are probably far outranked by the pages in original query without them having Former keyword that they must offer forced query just in case your focus more on Formal than other keywords.

lets say for example we have an index of 100 pages for keyword "former preston workshops"
only last one actually has keyword "former"
but wieght of other pages brings page with "former" all the way down to last position...

google realizes you're looking for "former" but SERP for "former preston workshops" don't have it in results because it might be well below 1000 results they they actually display for any given search string.. and offer you forced +former solution - so you can actually see more results with all searchable combinations.

Tip: These results do not include the word "former". Show results that include "former".

actually this does sound right, they didn't say they REMOVEd any words, they didn't find them in top 1000 serps.. only except the first one, hence given tip.

so who can't read here? )

I personally think this "tip" should be more obvious - it's not until you've scanned the first page of results that you realise (if you even see it) that G has modified the query... at least their other helping hand stuff such as "did you mean" appears before, and close to, the #1 result...

agree...