Google trialling notes within search results

Google has started rolling out a trial of the “notes” feature within the search results, enabling you to enter notes on each of the search results and also notes of others.

What are SEOs saying about this new feature?

Many SEOs feel this new feature will definitely get spammed, especially when everyone can access the notes you have added to a specific search result.

Why is Google trialling this new feature?

Google’s idea with this new feature is that it will enable searchers to directly comment on posts that will lead to more authentic experiences from real users, and provide helpful tips about articles from both experts and the general public. This will also help you narrow down the most useful part of a specific article.

How can you enable Notes in search?

To access the new notes feature, you need to opt-in to the feature within Search Labs, once you’ve opted in, you should start to see the notes when you’re searching.

The new feature isn’t available to everyone, if you don’t currently have access to Search Labs, then you’ll see the following screen, but the hope is you can access the new feature soon.

How is Google moderating Notes?

According to the blog announcing the trial, Google will be using a mixture of algorithmic protection and human moderation to make sure that notes are safe, helpful and relevant to the content they are being added to. So hopefully, if anything non-related to the content the note has been added will be automatically removed by Google.

Otherwise, false information could be put into notes and people then think that what has been added is correct information. This would go against Google’s goals of providing a better user experience and also to provide helpful content to uses of their search engine.

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