Google expands Search snippets with more related info
Google on Tuesday announced new discovery efforts for its Search product, including expanded featured snippets, improved functionality of knowledge panels, and improved suggested content.
Powered by Google's algorithm, featured snippets generate highlights to provide quick and relevant answers to your search. Instead of diving into various websites after a search, Google wants to serve the information it thinks you're after. In the update Tuesday, Google said it has added more images and related searches.
Further, the knowledge panel update now includes related content, on top of the search content you were seeking. If you're searching for info about skiing, you'll see related searches for sports such as snowboarding directly inside the result.
Lastly, related topics for search results will now appear at the top of search. If you begin searching for multiple soccer players in succession, Google will serve you with related soccer players to assist you in your search.
Google has been increasingly launching features to keep users within Search instead of third-party-websites, and thus, serve them with ads. It recently integrated Google Finance within the main Search page, and it introduced flexible sampling, which allows publishers to choose how many free samples they offer users who find content through Google search and News.
On Tuesday, Google also announced new efforts at improving mental health through search results. If you search for "posttraumatic stress disorder" or related keywords, you'll now have the option of taking a clinically validated, private questionnaire that can screen for signs of PTSD.
Google cautioned an in-person assessment is essential to diagnosis of PTSD, but the commonly-used screening tool gives you important information you can bring to your doctor's appointment.
Google promised more Search features soon.
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