Have you ever gone to search for something in Google, only to get frustrated that the almighty search engine wasn’t totally understanding what you were asking for? Or can you not put into words what you’re searching for, but can visualize what it is? It happens…
But don’t worry!
Google recently announced at its Search On event that it’s working to revamp and introduce some new ways to search, leaning into the ever-evolving internet landscape that is becoming more and more visually focused as the days pass.
A more natural search atmosphere
People take photos of pretty much everything these days – their food, their children, and their dogs. And with cameras on every phone, the ability to easily snap a photo is literally in the palm of your hand. So how is Google going to capitalize? By providing searchers with the ability to search simply using a photo. Lens, Google’s technical term for this way of searching, is actually something they’ve had working since 2017, but the new multisearch option takes Lens to the next level by allowing people to search using images and text simultaneously.
Multisearch even allows you to take a photo of say, a delicious bowl of ramen, and find a place nearby that serves up the dish, making it even easier to bring your cravings to life. This extension of Google search will be rolling out in English in the US this season. In addition to these more visual ways of searching; expanding the languages and translation in voice search is a priority, along with Google becoming more proactive about helping you search with new AI modes of autocomplete to truly understand what it is that you might be searching for.
What effect does it have on brand advertising?
All of these upgrades are great for consumers, but, not all’s fair in love and search… and as any marketer knows, the search landscape is very much a pay-to-play atmosphere. These new ways of searching do have an impact on how much control Google has in what you as a user may see in your search results and offers up more opportunity for them to monetize these new avenues, in turn, impacting the organic nature of search. We’re already seeing with some of our clients that organic searching has decreased in the last quarter, due to a lot of these rollouts and the ability for more brands to get in on the paid game in searching.
We have already shifted our buying structure to understand how paid vs. organic performance best work together with these new upgrades, and continuously educate ourselves on how to best serve our clients and their brand goals. Are you partnered with an agency that not only keeps up with these market changes but thinks ahead of them? Contact us to understand how we can help you prioritize your search efforts and create the right media mix to ensure you’re driving traffic to your brand site.
