Google Polling Searchers On Usefulness Of Longer Answers

Feb 12, 2014 - 8:09 am 18 by
Filed Under Google

A couple weeks ago, we reported how Google is showing longer answers for queries in the top of the search results. Now, it seems Google is asking their searchers if they find those longer answers useful.

Here is a picture from John Dietrich who posted this on Google+.

Google Answers Poll

The user is shown the top answer, and then asked if they fine the answer "not useful," "useful," or "awesome."

I guess this is Google's way of testing to see if these results are something searchers like. Truth is, webmasters hate them because there is no need for the user to click from Google to get the answer. Google just scraps the answer off the site and sticks it right in their search results, of course in this case, with citation. But still.

For a searcher, yea, this is likely very useful and saves a click. For the webmaster, this can be devastating.

Forum discussion at Google+.

 

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