Google have just announced an update to it’s core search product Google Search. The update introduces two new features; related searches and longer descriptions. Both features are particularly relevant when searching for general items or knowledge areas, you’ll see what we mean:
Related Searches
When searching on Google now, you’ll begin to notice related searches appear alongside the main search results. Google’s example was “Principles of Physics” which shows a number of alternative searches that you might find helpful. This is particularly significant to companies who have worked hard to get to high rankings for some less common searches for their product.
Lets say you’ve earned yourself top rankings for a search term like “luxury hotels in west london”, Google will offer a number of alternative searches to a user, many of which will offer better quality results. Therefore, it’s likely companies who have gained top rankings for the most popular keyword searches will be gifted more power (and all credit to them!) leaving some companies struggling to compete within the small niche term they may have worked hard to earn.
However, lets be fair, this isn’t about the companies – it’s about users returning and Google Ad Words.
Longer Descriptions
For longer Google searches, i.e. searches that include more than a few keywords in the search field – Google will start to offer longer descriptions/snippets in the results. The benefit here is that you’ll be able to often decide whether the information on a particular site is relevant/useful without having to click on the site itself. Definitely useful when you’re in research mode, struggling to keep your eyes open and each click is beginning to feel painful.
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