Ever wonder where Google’s top ranking search results are coming from? Google’s latest search revamp puts the sites that links are sourced from front and center.
With the URL of the result (or at least a truncated version of it) and a branded icon, Google notes that users should “better understand where the information is coming from” and “quickly determine what’s most useful for you.”
In practice, this should allow users to do a quick gut-check on whether they’re interested in content from a particular source.
As The Verge points out, in the past Google “has somewhat downplayed the source of search results, displaying a website’s name in a smaller font beneath each link.” In an age of clickbait and “fake news”, this change in information hierarchy may steer searchers towards more credible results.
In concert with this change, the familiar boxed-green call out identifying search results that are ads has been replaced by a more subtle, bold black “Ad” identifier. This may result in more ads being clicked on. As the Google-watchers at GHacks.com note of the ever evolving mobile search landscape, “depending on your query, you may get several pages worth of advertisement and other Google-powered features before the first organic search result.” All the more reason to have a competitive SEM strategy for mobile.
Interested in improving your mobile search marketing? Give Kiosk a call.