The Wall Street Journal’s Amir Efrati has raised eyebrows with an article (subscription required [1]) saying Google is working to stay ahead of its rivals in internet search by introducing more so-called “semantic search” technology, Digital Trends reports. The idea is the Google’s search box wouldn’t just be a place for users to type keywords or specifically-formed queries, but a box that had an actual understanding of many of the terms, names, verbs, and references people type in — and could apply that knowledge to users’ searches. In theory, semantic search should be able to return results that reflect a searcher’s intent, and in some cases improve Google’s ability to give an answer right away without referring users off to another site. But wait — is this anything new? Doesn’t Google already put some answers right up front? And how could semantic search potentially help Google maintain its lead in the Internet search business?