Do You Know What Google’s ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ Feature Does?

We usually see the I’m Feeling Lucky button below the Google search box and you may have wondered what this button does. The button performs a very simple function. If you click ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ after typing in your search query, Google will show you the first and most relevant result in your browser without opening the long list of results. So, instead of seeing a full page of search results, you’ll rather be taken to the website that would have been first on the results list. It’s a really tricky endeavour seeing that the page you’ll be taken to may not be related to what it is you are actually searching for. But you only take such chances when you are feeling lucky. If you search for the word ‘Happy’ and click the ‘lucky’ button, you’ll be taken to YouTube to watch Pharrell William’s hit song Happy.   Clicking “I’m Feeling Lucky” without inputting any search query will take you to a page that contains all Google search doodles and a few other interesting information. In 2012, “I’m Feeling Lucky” was changed to serve as an advertisement for Google services; users hover their computer mouse over the button, it spins and shows an emotion (“I’m Feeling Puzzled” or “I’m Feeling Trendy”, for instance), and, when clicked, takes users to a Google service related to that emotion. Back in 2007, an analyst suggested the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button probably cost Google as much as $110 million per year. Google search boss, Marissa Mayer, estimated that 1% of all Google searches go through the I’m Feeling Lucky button – skipping Google’s search results pages entirely. That meant Google showed ZERO ads (and therefore got ZERO ad clicks) on 1% of all Google search queries. However, the search giant has kept the button because:

“It’s possible to become too dry, too corporate, too much about making money… What’s delightful about ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ is that it reminds you there are real people here.” — Mayer