Google is releasing a new and dramatic change to its google.com home page. Instead of the famous, simple white screen with a search bar, Google is now displaying a news feed showing stories and information you may be interested in.
The fresh news feed will use your past searches, interests and location to recommend news, videos and music. Google will pre-emptively show you what you may be interested in, without you even having to search for it! This could be a great opportunity for local businesses optimising for local SEO to be found based on the user’s whereabouts.
source: Google / BBC
“The more you use Google, the better your feed will be”
Users will be able to customise what they see. The news feed includes a “Follow” button to allow users to add topics they would like to see more stories about. As Google states “The more you use Google, the better your feed will be”.
You may already be able to view the new icons under the search bar for Weather, Sports, Entertainment, and Food & Drink. This helps users easily tap to read subjects they are interested in, without having to type in what they are looking for.
This new change might even help users detect fake news. A company spokesperson said the feed will display information from many different “diverse perspectives”. The idea is that information from different viewpoints will help users fact check what they read.
So why is Google making such a huge change now?
It may be that Google is competing with the Facebook news feed. A strong digital advertising competitor, Facebook’s news feed has become increasingly popular. Many digital agencies are revaluating the benefits of social media marketing over Google AdWords PPC services. But Google may have the advantage. Consider how much more relevant a news feed would be based on your search engine history, rather than your social searches!
Future Developments for Digital Marketing
This huge change to the Google homepage means users will adopt new behaviours when interacting with the search engine. It has not yet been confirmed if the feed will feature pay per click advertising or sponsored posts just yet. But it’s safe to bet that these may be viable options once a large percentage of users are experienced in using the new search format. This may open some exciting new opportunities for digital marketing agencies – stay tuned!
Want to know more about SEO services and AdWords Management in Bournemouth? Contact us on 01202 798 820 or email hello@upperdog.co.uk