Google is updating its search results with an important new feature: a “about this result” menu that allows you to retrieve Wikipedia information about a site in your search results, making it easier to vet sites you do not know.
To see the new information boxes, just tap on the three-dot icon at the top right of the result map, which will include a short snippet from the article. Google says “these descriptions provide the most up-to-date verified and available information available on Wikipedia.”
In addition, the new search information box will show more detailed information about the result, such as whether it is an organic search result or a paid advertisement, or if the website uses a secure HTTPS connection.
Google says the new results information is designed to provide additional “peace of mind” when you search. But it’s also easy to see how the new tool can help users erase misinformation when they search for news or health information on Google. It is probably no coincidence that one of the most important examples of the business is to determine whether a website like The Lancet is a valid source of medical information for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new feature is introduced today as a beta. The company says it will continue to get user feedback in the future to repeat and expand, although Google does not yet provide hard details on what it looks like.
The new ‘about this result’ feature launches today as a beta for English-speaking users in the US for mobile web, desktop and the Android Google app.