Yahoo Takes on Google Instant with Rich Search Assist

Yahoo has started testing a new search feature that surfaces answers and results as you type based on search suggestions. The feature is not called "Yahoo Instant" even though there are several big similarities between Google Instant and the new "Rich Search Assist."

"Here at Yahoo!, we know that sometimes search is just about getting things done – fast. Whether you’re looking for the latest game score, nutritional facts about that latte you ordered this morning, or your favorite TV show – you should be able to find answers with little to no effort," Ethan Batraski, Group Product Manager at Yahoo Search, said.

"Today, Yahoo! Search is testing a beta version of a more intelligent and content-rich Search Assist (a technology that Yahoo! pioneered) with a fraction of searchers," he announced.

The new Rich Search Assist replaces the existing Search Assistant. Previously, users would see related searches and suggestions. Now, along with the suggestions, they will get direct links and answers depending on the type of search.

While it does seem to emphasize Yahoo properties, it sometimes serves organic results, links to the first result the search would retrieve.

For example, if you're looking for a movie, you may get a result from movies.yahoo.com. However, if you're doing a more generic search, you'll get the first result you'd get anyway if you completed the search.

Yahoo is only testing the new feature with about 5 percent of users for now, but will roll it out further eventually. There is no definitive version yet, so different users may get different variations of the feature until Yahoo settles on the best one.

Google Instant, which launched a couple of months back, also uses suggestions to load results before the user is finished typing but it loads the entire page rather than just some info in the Search Assistant.