Google is rolling out new tools which aim to help searchers verify information, evaluate content, and discover diverse viewpoints. These features are part of the tech giant’s ongoing battle against misinformation and fake news.
About this Result
In 2021, Google launched the “About this result” feature which gave searchers more information on the sources and sites that appear in search results. This feature is now available globally in all languages supported by Google Search. The feature enables users to learn more about the websites that are returned in search results by providing information about their trustworthiness, when they were first indexed, and other useful details.
Perspectives
Google’s introduction of “Perspectives” for top stories will showcase insights from journalists, experts, and other voices on the topic being searched for. This new feature aims to broaden users’ understanding of a topic by providing a variety of voices. Google intends to complement authoritative reporting in Top Stories by including unique viewpoints.
About this Author
Another new feature is “About this author,” which provides more information about the background and experience of news authors surfaced on Google Search. This feature will be available in English in the U.S. and globally on search results. Users can tap on the three dots next to any search snippet to access this feature.
About this Page
Google is also making it easier for users to access the “About this page” feature. Now, those who type a URL into Google Search can quickly see how a website describes itself, what others have said about the site, and any recent coverage of it.
Expanding Advisories
To further increase users’ confidence in search results, Google is expanding advisories in search results to provide context about a whole set of results where there are information gaps or doubts as regards their accuracy or reliability. These advisories will automatically appear on rapidly evolving topics or in situations where Google’s systems lack high confidence in the quality of available results.
Google plans to expand content advisories to new languages, including German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese.
Global Fact Check Fund
In addition to these features, Google is launching a $13.2 million grant to the International Fact-Checking Network to launch a new Global Fact-Check Fund. The fund will support over 130 fact-checking organizations in 65 countries covering over 80 languages. This initiative is timely considering the increase in misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccines.
Conclusion
These new features make it important for websites to provide “about this site” statements and author bios to demonstrate their expertise on a topic and improve their rankings on Google searches. By introducing these features, Google aims to ensure that users can discover reliable sources of information and build trust in search results by easily verifying information, evaluating content, and discovering diverse viewpoints.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
