Google adding label to rapidly changing search results

Google is adding a label to users’ search results that tells them when the results are changing rapidly due to ongoing events.

The update was announced as Google acknowledged that published information such as breaking news stories may not always be reliable.

“While Google Search will always be there with the most useful results we can provide, sometimes the reliable information you’re searching for just isn’t online yet,” Google Public Liaison for Search, Danny Sullivan, wrote in a blog post.

How will the label work?

Google explained that it has trained its systems to detect when a topic and facts around it are rapidly changing. It will also detect when several sources have not yet provided input or reporting on the topic.

When this is the case, users will see a notice at the top of their search results. The notice will inform them if the results are changing quickly.

“With this additional context, you can make a more informed decision about the sites you may want to visit and what results will be most useful for you,” Sullivan wrote.

The notice is the latest feature Google wants to use to combat unreliable sources.

The notice will first appear in English search results in the US. Google said it will expand it and other related features to other countries in the coming months.

In February, the company introduced a drop-down menu on individual search results that provides additional information on the source. The information includes a description of the website taken from Wikipedia.

Featured image: Unsplash/Firmbee.com

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