Is Google Changing its Search Results?

Twice this week while doing a Google search, I found some newly formatted search results on a desktop computer. Check out this comparison in the image above.

1. The biggest change is the eye-catching logo for each website.
2. Next, notice the change in order. The website address is now first, and the title of the page is second.
3. Finally, there’s a color palette change. The new results are classier, doing away with the purple/blue in exchange for standard blue. More noticeable is leaveing the ugly green behind, replacing it with a dark gray and the logo. The result is cleaner, less 1990s internet, and I think the public will be in favor.

How this affects you:

First, note that the change is clearly not in effect yet. It’s being beta tested. Only a few of my test searches triggered it. Google often runs these tests and measures customer feedback before officially launching. However, I expect it to happen. It is already there on mobile. And, whether it goes live or not, this at the least gives us insight into what Google is looking at in its search results.

The only actual content change in the search results is the addition of the logo. My research showed that it pulls directly from the “favicon” on your website. It’s the same small logo that shows in website bookmarks, and the tab in your web browser when you are looking at your website (see photo). If you don’t have a favicon, Google puts in a generic placeholder. However, anytime we learn what Google reviews on your website, it’s a great best practice to take care of it. Best case, it can help your search results. Worst case, it’s a half hour of time and still makes your site look better on search and during visits.