Search giant Google rolled out an instant preview feature of search results on November 9 as it attempts to preserve its online lead from the joint challenge of Microsoft and Yahoo.
The new tool allows users to click on the icon of a small magnifying glass next to their search results and immediately see images of the pages without actually visiting them. Relevant text is highlighted and magnified in the preview pane, which loads to the right of the results list.
"Instant Previews provides a graphic overview of a search result and highlights the most relevant sections, making finding the right page as quick and easy as flipping through a magazine," the company said in the blog post. Internet analysts said the site is likely to keep users longer on Google's site while reducing the frequency of their visits to the sites that come up in Google's search results.