Google's mobile search hides full results for some unit conversions, calculations
The quest to speed up page-load times and declutter the small screen continues.
On mobile, unambiguous conversions (such as temperature) and arithmetic calculations will hide results links it might otherwise have shown.
Google has rolled out an update that selectively hides search results when you appear to be using the search bar as a calculator or unit converter on your phone.
Google tested this design in March, as Search Engine Land points out, but it ran into problems with vague entries. For instance, it might have hidden results from the New York Times if it assumed you wanted to know the time in New York. Google said one of its goals is to speed page loading by reducing the amount of data it sends to the browser.
Now, if you type in "time in London," it still provides the time conversion, the latest tweets from the Times of London and links to the myriad converters populating the web. (SEL credits Sergey Alakov for noticing this change.) You'll still see 4WD links when you need help calculating 4x4 and currency converter links when you try to translate USD into British Pound Sterling.
This could affect traffic for third-party online converters as you need to click through a link to see those now-hidden search results.
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