In what has been called it’s “biggest upgrade in years”, Google Search is currently testing out a new user interface (UI) update that will save searchers a lot of time.
In the new update, when a user makes a search, they will be able to hover their cursor over a search result and Google will provide additional preview text and images, where available. This will mean that people can receive more information without even the click of a button, with no need to open a webpage or tab.
One Twitter user demonstrated the new update:
Seems like Google Search is testing a new UI… I like how smooth it is.
It will now show image previews if you hover your mouse over a search result/link.
Cool or rather annoying? It does take a while for this stuff to roll out to everybody though. #Google pic.twitter.com/L4i6kYfEJY
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) December 16, 2020
While this update is a minor change in the grand scheme of things, it does present users with a nifty little tool. At times, when performing a specific search, the preview text of a webpage doesn’t provide enough information, and you have to spend time clicking through to different webpages only to then discover the website isn’t what you want at all. This was particularly the case for myself when I was studying at university and trying to find academic sites over amateur ones. With this new tool, in such a scenario I would be able to hover over a link and know from the preview whether a certain site would be any good to me.
The update will also save time waiting for pages to load and slowing down your computer or laptop – Google Chrome in particular is notorious for taking up memory when multiple tabs are open. To this end, the update, while appearing rather small, will provide a much more user-friendly search experience, helping people to identify the websites that would be beneficial.
In addition, for websites themselves, this could reduce bounce rates, as people would presumably only click on websites where the preview indicates the site has what they are looking for. This does also mean that websites will have to ensure they have an attractive, user-friendly site that looks appealing on such a preview in order to entice searchers to click through.
As with all Google updates, currently, this UI change is only available to certain users, and there has been no indication of if – or when – it will be rolled out universally.
If you need help optimising your website for Google Search or in creating a user-friendly, attractive site, give us a call at Engage Web today.
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