by Google has announced a series of changes to its core search functionality, focusing on making searching the web faster and more convenient, and more.
Announced at the Search On conference (opens in new tab)All of these changes will be released in the US. and the first major introduction is that shortcuts to various tools will be introduced, nested just below the search bar.
These are things like an icon to translate text with the camera, or identify a tune with the hum, or to help with a work problem through the camera – common tasks you might need that you can now access very quickly with a click on the relevant shortcut.
In this case, the feature is coming to the Google iOS app in the US (English language) first, and a wider rollout will no doubt follow.
In terms of faster and more intuitive core search, Google introduces topic options that appear just below the search box as you type a query. The example Google gives is that someone types in a search for “best cities in Mexico” and after entering that text, a series of suggestions pop up to complete the query – such as “for families,” “for expats,” “ to retire”. , and so on. These are the most likely options you will need and hopefully will allow you to quickly complete your query with a simple click.
Again, this feature will launch in the US (in English) in the “coming months,” Google tells us, and so will the rest of the features we’re about to explore.
Here are the details that come out of a search, which again in Google’s example of searching for a city will now prominently include visual stories and similar video clips from people who have visited that place. The emphasis is on conveying more practical information, such as tips for getting around the city, how to travel there or what to do during your stay, rather than just, say, historical or geographical facts for example (not that they won’t you still get some of them as results).
After a search, suggestion buttons will also appear below the search box that will show further topics you might want to explore, such as the beaches in the city you’re about to visit – and you just tap on them and dive even deeper. further suggestions if required.
Finally, Google tells us that it’s revamping the way search results are presented to “better reflect the ways people explore topics,” meaning that as you scroll down, relevant topics will be highlighted. Sticking to the city example provided, these topics include results related to local cuisine and recipes, musical traditions, art and so on.
Analysis: Some massive changes to move with the times
So the overall goal here is to make searching easier and faster, as we mentioned at the beginning, and to highlight more practical content and advice – with videos from people who have visited a place – as well as to make it as simple as possible to view and explore all related topics.
In some corners of the web in recent times, we’ve noticed threads of complaints about how Google isn’t what it used to be when it comes to the quality of its search results, so perhaps the company thought it was time to start turning things around – largely. There’s definitely a new take on search here with all these different elements, so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out when we actually use the new search. and of course what is the reaction from those who have become more skeptical of Google.
Google is about as old a web veteran as you’ll find, and it shouldn’t fail to move with the times. So when there is talk of young people hitting TikTok to discover things instead of searching on Google, that shouldn’t be a threat to Google, but definitely something that’s a bit worrying and needs to be paid attention to.
When other regions outside of the US will receive these changes we don’t know, but with them dropping as they arrive in the “coming months” in the United States, it looks like it will be a slow rollout, especially in global terms.
