Google reveals big changes to make its search easier, swifter and better
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Google has announced a number of changes to its core search functionality aimed at making web searches faster and more convenient, and much more.
Announced on his Search By conference (opens in new tab)All of these changes will roll out in the US over time, and the first big introduction is that shortcuts to various tools will be introduced, nestling right below the search bar.
These are things like an icon for translating text with the camera, or identifying a tune by humming it, or even helping with a homework problem through the camera – common tasks you may need, and now very much needed. can be quickly accessed with a tap on the appropriate shortcut.
In this case, the feature is coming to the Google app for iOS in the US (English language) to begin with, with a wider rollout no doubt to follow.
As for making core searches faster and more intuitive, Google ushers in topic options that appear right below the search box as you type a query. The example given by Google is that someone types a search query for “best cities in Mexico”, and after entering that text, a number of suggestions appear to complete the search – such as “for families”, “for expats” , ‘retirement’ , and so on. These are the most likely options you’ll need, and hopefully you’ll be able to wrap up your question quickly with a simple tap.
Again, this feature will launch in the US to begin with, Google will let us know in the “coming months,” and so will the remaining capabilities we’re about to explore.
Then the details are revealed through a search, which again in Google’s example of a city search now features prominent visual stories and video clips of people who have visited that specific place. The emphasis is on giving more practical information, such as tips for getting around the city, how to get there or what to do during your stay, rather than just historical or geographic facts, for example (not that you’ll be getting some of that yet) as result).
After a search, suggestion buttons also appear below the search box that point to other topics you may want to explore, such as the beaches of that city you’re about to visit – and you tap them and dig even deeper into further suggestions if needed.
Finally, Google tells us it’s revamping the way search results are presented to “better reflect the way people explore topics,” meaning that when you scroll down, related topics will be highlighted. Sticking to the example given by the city, those topics include results related to the local cuisine and recipes, musical traditions, art, and so on.
Analysis: some major changes to keep up with the times
So the general thrust here is to make the search easier and faster, as we said at the beginning, and to surface more practical content and advice – with videos of people who have visited a place – and make it as simple to see and explore all kinds of related topics.
In some corners of the web, we’ve seen recently that Google isn’t what it used to be when it comes to search quality, so maybe the company thought it was time to start changing things up — in a pretty big way. There’s definitely a fresh take on search here with all these different elements, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out once we actually start using the new search; and of course the reaction of those who have become more skeptical about Google.
Google is about as old a web veteran as you’ll find, and shouldn’t fail to keep up with the times. So if there’s talk of young people using TikTok to discover things instead of Google Search, then maybe that shouldn’t be a threat to Google, but definitely something that’s a little concerning and needs attention.
When other regions outside the US will get these changes, we don’t know, but since they’re arriving in the US in the “coming months”, it sounds like it’s going to be a slow rollout, especially in global terms.