Google decided to make its mobile search results more like a news feed – battle with Facebook and Amazon continues
This week, Google decided to update its app and added content from more sources to search results. To give an example, data on weather and local events will be available along with the regular search results.
More than that, users will be able to “follow” areas of interests with a simple touch of a button. If users input this information, Google can further customize search results and offer more qualitative information to advertisers. Furthermore, it would help Google compete in the mobile advertising area against Facebook, which already collects detailed information about users based on what they like.
Google also tweaked how it presents this search information, especially for those who use the Pixel smartphone that can access the feed by swiping left while on the home screen. In terms of appearance, it looks more like news feeds from Facebook, Twitter, or Apple News.
The main idea is to turn the feed into “an extension of Google search,” said Shashidhar Thakur, vice president of search. The main goal is “to keep you in the know even when you’re not searching,” Thakur added.
The updates come a day after Amazon revealed Spark, its own feed that presents product photos and stories which are tailored to help susbcribers to the Prime service find products more easily.
All three giants are searching for ways to engage with mobile customers.
While Google sells everything from videos to smartphone, it still got 87% of its first quarter revenue from selling ads.
Moving to mobile means that Google has to provide users “bite-sized answers to questions,” says Ben Gomes, vice president of the company’s core search product.
“The vast majority of our queries come from mobile phones,” Gomes added during a demonstration of the new features
