Google fiddles with search layout again, is starting to try our muscle memory

Google fiddles with search layout again, is starting to try our muscle memory
Unlearn the thing you learned, relearn the thing you already unlearned

Google is rolling out another new search page layout which does away with the left-hand sidebar.

The search giant has unveiled the new look in the US, where the left hand sidebar with the Web, Images, Maps, Videos, News, Shopping options has been relocated to the top of the results page, under the search bar.

Which is basically where it was to begin with.

Search woes

In a move widely regarded in the TechRadar office as The Great News Search SNAFU, Google some months ago decided to create the left-hand sidebar which has annoyed us consistently ever since.

The reason being, if you search in the main search box and then decide you wanted to see Google News results for that term, you had to retrain your muscle memory to head to the side-bar rather than using the Google News link across the top of the page, as had been the case until the change.

Sounds minor, but it was annoying. Consistently. For months. Sometimes we wonder if we spend too much time obsessing about the little things.

Anyway. Google says it's messed with the secret sauce to provide a "simpler, cleaner design" and "more breathing room" and "more focus on the answers you're looking for", while making the whole internet searching experience consistent across web, smartphones and tablets.

Users in the US should start seeing the redesigned page as of now, while Google says it's rolling the new look out to users in other countries as soon as it can.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.