According to a recent announcement by the search engine giant, the results of search queries will now indicate whether or not they have been personalized.
The search engine headquartered in Mountain View, California, created an “About this result” section in February 2021 to provide users with more information about the search results they were shown.
Initially, it was limited to information about the source website. With time, it grew to include more details about the factors it considered in producing these results.
This latest update, announced in conjunction with Google’s Search On event, will let users know whether or not their search results are customized.
In the blog post, Google’s Public Liaison for Search, Danny Sullivan said: “There’s value not just in seeing your search results, but also in knowing the factors that went into our systems to determine that those results would be useful for you.”
Currently, only English-speaking users in the United States may use the new customized search tool, which tailors results depending on the user’s search and browsing history.
According to Sullivan’s blog post, the “About this result” section can shed light on how Google determines which results are most relevant and beneficial to the user. “As always,” says Sullivan, “our aim is to help users find the information that’s most useful to them, so they can find inspiration no matter what they are searching for.”
Personalized results, which may be enabled or disabled via privacy settings, will use previously obtained data to tailor recommendations to each Google user.
The Update Can Recommend Movies, Recipes
The blog claims that the improved personalization can be used even in the kitchen.
By typing in ‘dinner ideas,’ the user will be presented with personalized suggestions for meals they might wanna try.
“If you have a specific hankering,” Sullivan writes, “you can search by cuisine or dietary preferences, such as Thai recipes.
Other applications include discovering new places to eat, customized shopping experiences, and tv show and movie suggestions. If a user has personalized results enabled, they will be able to pick the streaming services they use and get recommendations according to their preferences.
Multiple Updates Revealed at Search On
At its annual virtual event, Google announced several new initiatives in addition to expanding personalized results. These include enhancements to make search more natural and intuitive, updates to Google Maps such as aerial shots of landmarks and neighborhood vibe checks, and extensive information regarding the environmental impact of decisions such as driving routes and meals.
