Google is always refining their search results to give their users unrivaled experience whenever they are browsing the internet. The latest feature to be given a makeover is the ‘People also search for’ area, otherwise known as Knowledge Graph. As opposed to the previous design, Google has adopted a more alluring, boxed-in design for the ‘People also search for’ snippet making it stand out prominently and thus entice the users to click. So, how does this refinement improve the search experience and how does it differ with the previous design of the ‘People also search for’ section?
Notable Improvements on ‘People also Search for’ Area
There are some standout changes to the design of the search results. Firstly, Google has boxed in the first organic result, and the ‘People also search for.’ This gives this section a new feel that users will find as an upgrade on the rather flat appearance of the previous design.
Secondly, the ‘People also search for’ section has a large number of hyperlinks giving the user a variety of options about their topic of interest. The hyperlinks often appear after a user clicks on a result and then clicks back to the main search page.
According to leading SEO experts, the assumption to Google’s improving on this feature is that users will often click back to a previous page in search for a more relevant result. The results appearing on the knowledge graph are thus assumed to be more refined to the search term that a user inputs. The results do not, however, affect the rankings of other search terms on the page.
It’s worthy to note that this feature is still in a testing stage and is mainly available for desktop users. Even then, mobile search still has an improved carousel that allows users to see related results. The results are primarily a collation of results that users have checked on regarding the topic.
How does this new look feature differ with Google’s featured snippet
Many people often confuse the knowledge graph results with the featured text, also known as results 0. The featured snippet on Google’s SERP’s has been an enduring feature as they usually receive a substantial number of clicks during organic searches. This snippet differs from the ‘People also search for’ feature in that;
1. It appears above organic search results. This is in contrast to people search for snippet which often appears after the first organic results. In the new, dynamic design, the knowledge graph is occurring under the result that has a clicked on. Additionally, the featured snippet is presented as a block of text while with ‘People also search for’ being a group of hyperlinks arranged in two columns.
2. Featured snippet loads with the results pages while the people search mostly appears when a user returns to SERPs main page. In essence, the ‘People search for’ is meant to give users alternative search links for users who fail to find a favorable result on their current search.
3. The featured block of text on featured snippet is usually Google’s pick of the best answer to a user’s query. On the other hand, the hyperlinks on the ‘people also search for’ is a collection of what other users have searched on about the queried phrase.
Possible Changes in ‘People also search for’ area
As already mentioned, this new feature is still in a testing stage. As such, Google has been offering users different designs from time to time while at the same time collecting their feedback. Mainly, these are the key changes that define the new ‘People also search for’ snippet.
a) A dynamic feature
Most internet users often click on the first results on the SERPs. The ‘People also search for’ links thus appear below the first result by default. But if a user goes on to click on the third or even the fourth result, the snippet shifts as well. Thus, the snippet is dynamic.
b) A scrollable snippet
Well, while the section has a flat design on the desktop, smartphone users can navigate through the links by scrolling from right to left. The scrolling makes the area appealing and also saves on the space used to display the links.
c) Better results from the third party sources
Google is using the design to collect information on what makes users click back from a given link. This information will help improve the SERPS with the intention of displaying only results that can benefit users. The vetting will have a significant impact on websites ranking in the future.
Can webmasters customize their links to feature on the newly designed ‘people also search for’ section?
Fact is having your content featured on the ‘People also search for’ area increases exposure, especially with the new design. While there is no guaranteed formula for your website to feature on the section, you can carry out on page optimization to improve the odds of being picked by the Google bots.
i) Write concise, in-depth content regarding the topic at hand. Such content is relevant to the query, up to date and includes essential facts, definitions, and inclusions.
ii) Include a table of contents in your pages with each link on this table guiding the user to the answers to a given query. Google bot use the table of content to gauge how suitable is the structuring of the content under review.
iii) Update information from time to time. Updates include keeping links clean and facts right. All these make your content attractive to Google bots.
Bottom Line
Google is always working to give internet users unrivaled experience whenever they are searching for content of interest online. As it rolls out the improved ‘Google Knowledge Graph,’ users can also sit back and enjoy the new, appealing design.
