Google extends custom search tool

GOOGLE'S CUSTOM SEARCH platform is now available internationally, it was announced today.

The platform is a basic and free way to get Google search added onto websites, ideal for small businesses and organisations. Google says it only takes "three simple steps" for businesses to sign up for the hosted service, the whole process apparently taking less than ten minutes.

Setting up Google Custom Search seems relatively hassle free: first a user must identify the site to search, then add the search box to the website, then further customise search results with refinements for site contents, like categories. Businesses can customise the look of the search box, too.

Also available is Google Custom Search Business Edition which starts at fifty quid a year for searching up to 5,000 pages, and about a grand a year for up to 300,000 pages. The UK parliament is currently using it on it's official website.

For the curious, hop on over to this page. µ