In a world where Google once dominated search without much competition, the landscape has drastically changed. Instead of just a bunch of blue links, the field has been disrupted by a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit and generative A.I. tools that potentially upend the search format. As a result, Google is experimenting with new changes that could significantly alter the search experience. These bold new changes include allowing people to leave publicly visible notes on search results, following specific search queries to push new information, as well as testing generative A.I. results that answer questions in natural language.
Google Search Vice President Cathy Edwards expressed her excitement, describing this current moment as the most exciting in her career. It’s a risky endeavor for Google, given that Search is the company’s cash spigot, generating most of its revenue. Nonetheless, the company is releasing new features like Notes and the Follow option that could potentially change how we interact with search.
One of the boldest potential tweaks by Google is the addition of Notes, which effectively places an internet comments section on the results page. According to Edwards, this feature is intended to help guide people to the best information by allowing them to share their thoughts. Google is setting precautions to ensure Notes remain a civil space, learning from its corporate sibling, YouTube, by adding similar filters and thumbs-up and -down options to maintain quality. The Follow option on Search also aims to keep users informed by alerting them when new information arrives, providing a possible solution for the decline of various social-media mainstays.
In addition to these features, Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) has shown promise, adding generative A.I. responses on top of results pages. However, this comes with concerns about limiting ad clicks and driving traffic to publishers. The large-scale changes Google is making point to its most significant remodeling in a decade or more, as the tech giant aims to retain its dominant position in the search industry.
