Google's New 'Web Guide' Uses AI To Organize the Search Results Page (9to5google.com) 7
An anonymous reader quotes a report from 9to5Google: Beyond AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google is working on "Web Guide" to better organize Search results into categories with additional context and insights. Simply, "Web Guide groups web links in helpful ways." There are headers and summaries before you see two or so links, with the ability to load "More." The goal is to make it "easier to find information and web pages," with this AI organization better surfacing pages "that you may not have previously discovered."
It leverages a "custom version of Gemini to better understand both a search query and content on the web." It uses a query fan-out technique, like AI Mode, to perform "multiple related searches to identify the most relevant results." Google says Web Guide is ideal for both open-ended searches ("how to solo travel in Japan"), and detailed queries in multiple sentences: "My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?"
In the latter example, grouping will see "pages related to specific aspects of your query." This is available in Search Labs (Web Guide) by going to the "Web" tab/filter. As such, you can switch to "All" for the usual experience. However, Google will experiment with showing AI-organized results in the All tab and other parts of Search over time. Further reading: Google Users Are Less Likely To Click on Links When an AI Summary Appears in the Results, Pew Research Finds
It leverages a "custom version of Gemini to better understand both a search query and content on the web." It uses a query fan-out technique, like AI Mode, to perform "multiple related searches to identify the most relevant results." Google says Web Guide is ideal for both open-ended searches ("how to solo travel in Japan"), and detailed queries in multiple sentences: "My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?"
In the latter example, grouping will see "pages related to specific aspects of your query." This is available in Search Labs (Web Guide) by going to the "Web" tab/filter. As such, you can switch to "All" for the usual experience. However, Google will experiment with showing AI-organized results in the All tab and other parts of Search over time. Further reading: Google Users Are Less Likely To Click on Links When an AI Summary Appears in the Results, Pew Research Finds
SEO Industry (Score:2)
The SEO industry is undergoing a massive shift. Now the goal isn't to be on the first page. Now you have to be result number one or two. Lord knows what the search results will look like after this round of gamification.
I hope it all works out, but I have a really bad feeling about this.
Points and laughs. (Score:5, Insightful)
Web Guide groups web links in helpful ways.
Laughter turns to tears.
Stop helping, shitheads. Go back to useful search results, for fuck's sake.
Re: (Score:3)
They didn't say who it helps. It helps them show us only the stuff they want us to see. The endgame of all search engine monetization - a pure marketing engine, useless for finding the stuff you are looking for.
What I want is... (Score:2)
To group search results into categories, with ads and anything touched by SEO conveniently labelled to make them easy to ignore or filter out
To be really useful ... (Score:5, Insightful)
It needs several easy and straight-forward ways to *completely* disable, bypass or toggle this off -- and not only by being logged in. I'm talking, cookie, uBlock filter, alternate URL, etc... And no it works for a while then Google fucks that up for us that Do. Not. Want. This.