Google Showing Longer Descriptions For Longer Queries

Jan 15, 2009 - 8:51 am 2 by
Filed Under Google

There have been more recent reports of Google showing longer descriptions (aka snippets) in the search results. We have reports from ThatsSEO.com, Holistic Search and SEMVironment.com with examples and screen captures. I was able to reproduce it for a search on fill empty cells with specific value openoffice.

A typical search shows a two line description or snippet:

google two snippet

But with the query above, you can get a three line description or snippet:

google three snippet

Or four line description or snippet:

google four snippet

Now, it seems like the longer your search query, the longer the snippet might get. But I have not fully tested this theory.

We have seen incredibly long Google descriptions in the past, plus we have seen Google test snippet size controls.

Forum discussion at Sphinn 1 and Sphinn 2.

 

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