A year ago, we first started seeing Google adding Search Options to their SERPs to refine results by time or to change how those results were listed on the SERP. In May, Search Options became official, adding the ability to filter by medium (image, video, etc.) and view the results as a WonderWheel or timeline.

Now we get even more options with our search. You can filter your results now by:

• Past hour
• Specific date range
• Shopping info"whether you want to see more or less
• Pages youve visited (or not)
• Sources, including blogs, books and news

While all these features are very cool and could be useful for specific searches, I think its best that Google continues to hide the Search Options by default. Most Google users would probably be confused or overwhelmed by the choices there"and most of the Options apply to only a specific type of search anyway. Even I rarely have a need for the search options, looking at the whole of my search history. Keeping the options accessible on the blue bar above the results is handy, and the curious can click.

What do you think? Do you use the Search Options? Will you use the new ones? Do you think its best to have them hidden by default?

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