Twitter recently started rolling out a new search interface for the web version that provides additional filtering options to categorize search results on the basis of top tweets, live tweets, accounts, photos, videos, etc. Featuring a more organized look, the new interface is aimed at making the search platform easier to use, especially when it comes to switching between tweets, accounts, photos and videos, according to TechCrunch.
More options for users
After the micro-blogging company began testing the new interface in April, it was made available to only a handful of Twitter users. But since last week, Twitter started offering the update to all of its consumers.
Confirming the roll-out, a Twitter spokesperson said, “Like other features, we will continue to iterate and improve on this, to make it even easier for users to find what they are looking for when they search on Twitter.”
Post-update, search results will now display a relevant tweet which has been marked as favorite or re-tweeted a couple of times on the top of the page. Under this, other recent tweets or photos related to the search keyword are subsequently displayed. However, at times, the top result might not be the one with the highest metrics but rather a tweet that better resembles the “intent” of the searcher.
Twitter working to attract new users
Further, the previous option that enabled users to pick between top tweets or all the tweets regarding a search keyword, has now been re-titled “Live.” Also the new relevant results can now be loaded at the top with just a click. Apart from these, the new interface introduces navigation buttons such as accounts, photos, videos, etc. Also there is a “more options” feature that allows users to further filter search results to identify tweets from the people they follow the tweets from accounts in nearby areas. In addition, the “more options” button can be used to save or embed a particular search.
Separately, in an attempt to attract logged-out visitors and help new users, Twitter recently re-structured its landing page, which now informs users about current affairs across various news categories. Along with this, the company also added a lot of other features, such as “instant timeline” and “while you were away” to keep users interested in the service. For now, the new interface is only available to desktop users.
