Google’s New Search and Discovery Features
Google have released Search and Discovery features to its SERPs to help us discover more through just one search result.
Search engines are no longer just about answering your questions, they also aid in discovery. We’re constantly searching new topics of interest, to find new angles to ideas or things we think we already know. We also uncover more information that we didn’t know about through search and discovery.
Google has developed features to help us discover more on our digital journeys; starting with related searches almost 10 years ago. Most recently, they have added features such as related questions, which are labelled “People also ask” in search results. In recent weeks, they have added an additional three new features to its Search and Discovery SERPs. To help us explore further, they are Featured Snippets, Knowledge Panels and Suggested Content.
Featured Snippets
Featured Snippets are algorithmically generated highlights of what’s available on the web that provide quick, relevant answers to your queries. They have been apart of our search results for some time now, but Google has delved deeper. More images have been added, as well as related searches inside selected Featured Snippets. This is to help you learn even more about your topic, or to discover new things related to your interest.
Knowledge Panels
Google has also updated its Knowledge Panels to show related content, including images, videos, news and “People also search for”. For example, while looking at the Knowledge Panel about skiing, you’ll see related searches for sports such as snowboarding directly inside the result.
Suggested Content
While you’re researching a particular topic on Google, you’ll see suggestions for related topics in the same vein. For example, you search for Neymar and follow it up with a search for Lionel Messi. The results will appear at the top of the results page, providing you with similar results. It gathers this information from thousands of searches carried out by thousand of users. As we can see, the search results have brought back other players, such as Ronaldo and Suarez.
