Currently Google is using eye tracking studies in its quest for a universal search. Eye tracking studies have become quite common because they show how surfers read web pages and where the eyes tend to focus the most. Experts in this type of study are of the opinion that the longer a person’s eyes stay in a particular area of the screen, the more popular that item is as it is attracting more exposure.

One of the problems with eye tracking studies is the fact that not everyone moves their eyes at the same rate or focuses their eyes in the same way, which raises questions as to how interested the person really is in a particular area. What Google is trying to ascertain are which search results tend to attract a user’s eyes more than others. Results so far, are similar to the results of any aspect of onscreen reading, the eyes focus on the first lines and attention begins to dwindle as the eyes go down the page.

Contrary to popular opinion, results also showed that people’s eyes tended to focus less on images and more on text. Search results loading time can have an effect on a user’s focus and that can lead to greater attention on the first line. How useful the results are remain to be seen.