Key Takeaways From Google’s Search Enhancements for 2020

The new search capabilities allow users to do more with Google

Last week Google announced a range of AI-powered enhancements to its search engine, including a new algorithm that suggests spelling corrections. During its Search On livestream, the company unveiled a series of search capabilities to improve the search experience on the platform.

22 years in, we’re still focused on providing the most helpful Google Search experience powered by #GoogleAIOpens a new window – whether it’s giving better answers, finding key moments in videos, bringing useful information to AR in Maps, hum to search + more. #SearchOnOpens a new window

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) October 15, 2020Opens a new window

Also read: Do Search Engine Results Page Rankings Really Matter?

Here are some of the highlights of the new announcements.

• Spellings: Google says one in 10 queries every day is misspelled, and its new spelling algorithm will leverage a deep neural net to enhance its ability to correct misspellings. The company says this improvement is more significant than all of its past enhancements to understand search intent via spellings. Users will now be able to surface relevant content even with misspelled terms under three milliseconds.

• Passages: Google has also enhanced its ability to decipher entire passages. It can now index not just web pages but also “individual passages from the pages.” The new addition is expected to improve 7% of search queries across all languages.

 

• Subtopics: Next on the list of new search features is subtopics – the company has applied neural nets to understand subtopics around an interest – improving its ability to surface more diverse content for search queries. For instance, users searching for “home exercise equipment” will be able to filter through relevant subtopics like budget equipment, premium packs, or small space ideas and access a wider range of content on the search results page.

Also read: Six Best Practices for Better Search Engine Marketing

• Key moments in videos: Google’s new AI-driven approach also helps it understand the “deep semantics of a video and automatically identify key moment,” allowing users to navigate these moments like chapters in a book. Whether it is food recipes or a game-winning home run, users will be able to get directly to the key moment in the video without using the seek bar. The company expects that over 10% of all searches towards the end of 2020 will use this new technology.
• Location tagging: To help users navigate the extended health crisis more safely and efficiently, Google will provide live updates to show users how busy a place is. Live View helps users get essential information about a business before they even step inside. Businesses will also receive a COVID-19 safety information box across Google Search and Maps to help users know if businesses require visitors to wear a mask, make an appointment, and health and safety protocols in place.
• Data Commons project: Google will soon unveil natural language processing-based (NLP) capabilities to map search queries to a specific data set across billions of data points in an easy visual to improve the search experience. Google has partnered with the U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, World Banks, and similar institutions to provide first-party insights into global data and statistics.

• Hum to Search: In a first, the search will now allow users to hum a song to search it using AI models that match the melody to the right song.

Do you know that song that goes, “da na na na na do do?” We bet Google Search does. 😉 Next time a song is stuck in your head, just #HumToSearchOpens a new window into the Google app and we’ll identify the song. Perfect pitch not required → #SearchOnOpens a new window pic.twitter.com/3LRN4HJMKGOpens a new window

— Google (@Google) October 15, 2020Opens a new window

• AR in Google Maps: Announced in 2018 and rolled out last year, Google introduced augmented reality (AR) walking directions to Google Maps. Called Live View, it uses Google Lens capabilities to overlay navigation on top of Street View data. It is a great tool that does not always work in practice.

During the SearchOn event, Google spoke about a range of AR use cases and examples. The most practical one is the long-promised ability to point the smartphone camera at a business and see its GMB profile (e.g., reviews). Google has been working on this capability in various forms for a decade. It requires highly accurate location data — when your phone is pointed at a business across the street or down the block, it has to know what specific business or place you are looking at. Perhaps only Apple or Microsoft could also pull this off.

Also read: Why Hold Calls When Your Google Assistant Can Do It for You?

“There has never been more choice in the ways people access information, and we need to constantly develop cutting-edge technology to ensure that Google remains the most useful and most trusted way to search. Four key elements form the foundation for all our work to improve Search and answer trillions of queries every year. These elements are what makes Google helpful and reliable for the people who come to us each day to find information,” writesOpens a new window Prabhakar Raghavan, senior vice president, Search & Assistant, Geo, Ads, Commerce, Payments & NBU at Google.

Better Search Experience: Why Should Marketers Take Note?

Google’s latest announcement reflects the changing search habits of users across the globe. Easier access to technology, a better understanding of search engines, and socio-political and health concerns have led to the search giant tweak its approach to helping users find results to their queries. Many of the tools announced at the SearchOn are in one way or another, all directed toward making local search and Google Maps more dynamic and reflective of the current situation and aligned to user needs rather than just a curation of data on websites.

Needless to say – advertising on Google is more important than ever before, and it continues to improve upon its relevance as a marketing channel. Brands now have the option to explore ways to market themselves more locally and realize a better ROI on their marketing investments with Google.