Google Will Soon Let You Vet Websites Before You Visit Them

When you search for something on Google, typically speaking the first page of your search results are the best bet at finding the information that you want. Google places websites at the forefront based on various algorithms and criteria, but in case a website pops up that you’re unfamiliar with, Google is here to help.

The company is starting a beta test for its mobile search where users can click a button that says “about this result”. This will pull up information about the website you’re trying to visit and a short snippet of the article. Google says that the information is pulled from Wikipedia, so if there is any information about the website on Wikipedia, you can learn more about there.

The idea is that this will provide users with a bit more context about the website that they’re about to visit. For example, sometimes some websites might show up that don’t necessarily contain the most accurate information, so if you’re warned beforehand, you can make a more informed decision.

In addition to vetting websites, the new search information box will also tell users if the search result was chosen because it was an organic result, meaning that based on Google’s algorithms it was determined to be the best option, or if it might have been a paid ad. It will also detail information like whether or not the site uses the more secure HTTPS connection. Right now, the feature is in beta but there are plans to keep reworking it and eventually release it to the masses.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Google, wikipedia