Google Inc. has fine-tuned its popular online search engine with a new look designed to boost its Froogle shopping service and alert users to other tools. The company said it is experimenting with a system to enable Google users to enter personal information so the search engine might deliver more relevant results. For instance, users that let Google know they are interested in music are less likely to get fishing results when they enter “bass.” Froogle also helps shoppers sift through items by price.

With the revisions, Google, based in Mountain View, California, appears to be grooming Froogle for a much bigger role in its business. Froogle has been operating as a separate site since Google launched the shopping service in December 2002. The changes revealed on March 29, 2004 are the latest in a series of moves Google has made since Yahoo Inc. broke off the companies’ longtime partnership six weeks ago to spotlight its own search engine.

“Google very much wants to let everyone know that it’s still doing some exciting things in search and it’s too soon to start making [company’s] tombstone yet,” said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch, an industry newsletter.

Before adjustments, Google recently had expanded its index by about 30% to span nearly 4.3 billion Web pages and introduced technology to make it easier for users to find results in their own neighborhoods based on ZIP codes or cities.

Google’s redesign gives Froggle one of the coveted links located just above its search box. To make room, Google dropped a tab formerly served for its list of directories. As it did before, Google’s front page continues to feature prominent links to focus searches on “images,” “groups” and “news.”

Froogle attracted 472,000 unique visitors in February, far behind the biggest shopping comparison sites, according to comScore Media Metrix, a research firm. Yahoo’s hopping channel drew an audience of 19.7 million visitors, comScore said.

A boost in Froggle’s traffic would likely increase Google’s profits as it prepares for an initial public offering of stick- a widely anticipated event expected to happen later this year. Shopping sites make money from the referral fees that merchants pay when one of their links is clicked on.