A host of updates are headed to Google Chrome that promise to make it quicker than ever for users to reach the information they need via mobile search.
Four new features have been unveiled, though roll-out times will differ across operating systems as Google continues to prioritise Android, leaving iOS until a short time later.
The first and largest feature sees improvements to the related searches functionality. Now users only need to tap the address bar in Chrome to be presented with a host of search queries related to the page they are viewing. Giving an example of how this would work, Google said that a user reading an article about Japan would be delivered search queries involving restaurants and tourist attractions there.
Similarly, another new feature involves tapping the address bar, but this time on a new tab or page. Doing this will present a list of trending searches for that day.
Next is an expansion of the feature to search highlighted text. Most Android phones can already do this on Chrome, with one of the options when highlighting a key word or phrase being: ‘Web search’. Now, with a new feature called Touch to Search, a user will be presented with a carousel of related topics at the bottom of the page when highlighting any passages of text. However, this feature isn’t expected to be switched on as standard, so anyone wanting to use Touch to Search may need to activate it in their settings.
Finally, Google is expanding the search results when typing into the address bar to ten, from the current six. Many Android users will have seen this function already, but it’ll be rolled out universally as part of this new suite of updates.
Writing for Search Engine Journal, reporter Kristi Hines noted that these updates could change the way users interact with search and the kind of content they discover as a result. This wouldn’t just impact the users themselves, but also the companies using search marketing to reach them. Hines wrote: “Marketers should adjust their strategies to ensure their content appears in related searches and trending topics, enhancing visibility and user engagement.”
