Google Search on mobile is getting updated with continuous scrolling, allowing more results to appear automatically when users scroll to the bottom of the page.
In an announcement, Google states:
“At Google, we’re always exploring new ways to help people find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. Earlier this year, we launched a redesign of the Search results page on mobile for a more modern experience that’s easier to scan and navigate.
Today, we’re making browsing search results more seamless and intuitive with the introduction of continuous scrolling on mobile devices.”
For searchers, this is a welcome quality of life upgrade as it allows for scrolling through a nearly endless list of results to find the right content.
Previously, Google’s mobile search results adhered closely to the ‘ten blue links’ format that originated on desktop search.
Instead of displaying a paginated list at the bottom of results, a mobile search page would display a ‘see more’ button.
Tapping that button on mobile was equivalent to clicking on page two of desktop search results.
Now, the ‘see more’ button isn’t gone for good, but Google says users will be able to scroll through “many more” results before triggering it.
This change can be hugely beneficial to publishers, as page two of Google doesn’t see nearly as much traffic as page one.
Google notes that people seeking information may go as far as the first four pages of search results. However, individuals are exceedingly unlikely to click on results beyond the first page.
A 2020 study revealed that the click-through rate of page two results is less than 1%.
The reason why people don’t click on page two results is uncertain, but it could be related to the perceived quality of content that didn’t make it to page one.
With continuous scrolling on mobile, it’s almost as if all results are now page one results.
This change can give the illusion that the user hasn’t left the first page of search results, leading them to discover and potentially click on links they otherwise wouldn’t have.
This user interface design is highly effective on mobile for apps like TikTok and Instagram’s Explore page.
On TikTok, users can continuously scroll down their feed, with the app continually displaying more videos to watch. This endless stream of content keeps people engaged with the app for extended periods.
With the same design applied to Google Search, content discovery could be significantly increased.
Websites ranking on the second page of Google (and lower) may start to see an increase in their traffic due to this update.
In the months following this change, it will be interesting to see if it helps increase traffic for low-ranking pages.
It’s advisable to pay attention to your Search Console reports and monitor the changes to your impressions and clicks on mobile.
Continuous scrolling is now rolling out to Google Search for most English searches in the US.
Source: Google Blog
Featured Image: ChicagoPhotographer / Shutterstock
