Google announced a series of changes to its core search functionality, with a focus on making searching the web a faster and more convenient process, and more.
Announced at its Search On conference (opens in a new tab), all of these changes will be rolling out in the US across the board, and the first major introduction is that shortcuts to various tools are going to be introduced, tucked away just under the bar. of investigation.
These are things like an icon for translating text with the camera, or identifying a tune by humming it, or helping with a homework problem through the camera – common tasks you may need that are now very quickly accessible with a simple tap. in the corresponding shortcut.
In this case, the feature will be coming to the Google iOS app in the US (English language) to begin with, with a broader rollout to follow no doubt.
To make basic search faster and more intuitive, Google is introducing theme options that appear directly below the search box when you type a query. The example given by Google is of someone who types in a search for "best cities in Mexico", and after typing that text, a bunch of suggestions appear to complete the query, such as "for families", "for expats", " backing out". , and so on immediately. These are the most likely options you'll need, and will hopefully allow you to quickly complete your query with a single tap.
Once again, this feature will launch in the US for starters, in the "next few months," Google tells us, and the same goes for the remaining features we're about to explore.
This is followed by the details revealed by a search which, again in the Google city search example, will now prominently include visual stories and video clips of people who have visited that particular place. The focus is on conveying more practical information, such as tips for getting around the city, how to get there, or what to do while you're there, rather than just, say, historical or geographical facts, for example (not that I'm not going to get some of that as a result yet).
After a search, suggestions buttons will also appear below the search box pointing to other topics you might want to explore, like which beaches in that city you'll visit, and just tap on them and dig a little deeper into other suggestions if needed. .
Finally, Google tells us that it's revamping the way search results are presented to "better reflect how people explore topics," meaning that when you scroll down, related topics will be highlighted. Continuing with the city example provided, these themes include finds like local cuisine and recipes, musical traditions, art, and more.
Analysis: Some major changes to evolve over time
So the overall goal here is to make searching easier and faster, as we mentioned at the beginning, and to provide more practical content and advice, with videos of people who have visited a place, all of which make it as easy as possible. to view and explore all sorts of related topics.
In some corners of the web lately we've been noticing threads about how Google isn't quite what it used to be when it comes to the quality of search results, so maybe the company felt it was time to start shaking things up. , in a pretty big Camino way. There's definitely a new approach to searching here with all these different elements, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out when we use the new search; and of course what is the reaction of those who have become more skeptical about Google.
Google is as old a web veteran as you'll find, and it's sure to move with the times. So when there's gossip about young people using TikTok to discover things instead of Google Search, that shouldn't be a threat to Google, but it's definitely something that's a bit of a concern and worth paying attention to.
When other regions outside of the US will receive these changes we don't know, but seeing as they're coming in the "coming months" in the US, it looks like it'll be a slow rollout, especially in the world. endings.