Google has recently changed it so the suggested clip, where Google search jumps you to a portion of the video with the answer you are looking for, no longer takes you into YouTube.com. Instead, it overlays a window, a modal, that plays the video in a black frame above the Google search results.
Here is how it works - search for how to related content, such as [how to plunge a toilet] and you will probably get this suggested clip from YouTube:
Now, when you click on it, instead of Google sending you to YouTube to watch the video, now Google uses a modal. It places the video in a black overlay, and plays it on top of the Google search results.
This removes a lot of the YouTube creator methods of gaining subscribers, suggested videos, and more. It obviously contains inline ads and this specific video, the creator added its own watermark to the video. I assume if it was a non-YouTube.com video, Google would do the same and not take you to your own domain for the video play.
Kristina Azarenk said this is like stealing traffic again:
Now some #YouTube videos are displayed in a lightbox on the desktop. Saw it today once but couldn't replicate again.
— Kristina Azarenko (@azarchick) July 31, 2019
Looks like #Google is stealing its own traffic 🙄
The videos in the carousel below 2 search results were redirecting to YouTube
cc @rustybrick pic.twitter.com/B8H7iH6dr6
I am pretty sure Google did not use the black modal overlay prior to the past 24 hours. But I do not 100% remember if it use to go to YouTube.com or just play in the search results box at the top of the Google search results.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
