Google redesigns search results page on desktop to bring it line with mobile UI

If you typed in a search term in Google today, you would have been greeted with a very odd-looking results page. The reason the page looks so drastically different is because of one simple change. Google has now removed underlines for URLs, making them more in line with the mobile search results page.

Google’s lead search designer Jon Wiley announced the makeover with a post on Google+.  “This improves readability and creates an overall cleaner look. We’ve also brought over our new ad labels from mobile, making the multi-device experience more consistent,” he said about the redesign, while adding that it will now become possible for the company to roll out search changes across its mobile and desktop offerings more smoothly.

Besides reformatting the search results links, Google has made other little tweaks that may not be apparent at first glance, but do improve some of the nagging problems we had with the results page before. For example, like Wiley said, ads which used to sit at the top of the results in distinguishable blue and yellow boxes, no longer come in those marked areas. Instead, Google has decided to add an ad tag next to the link, to make the distinction clear.

While previously some monitors might not have reproduced the blue and yellow boxes very well, due to them being very light shades, now there’s no mistaking the ads, thanks to the well-displayed tag. You will also find that the search results’ font sizes have been increased