Another change by Google

Google announced today that they are changing the way they present data via their "knowledge graph". The  takeaway is that they are using the Rich Snippet Support to present additional information in search results.

Google bringing new smarts to search with Knowledge Graph | Internet & Media - CNET News

I am not sure if this is enabled by default in v8, but you can turn it on by executing the following in ocCLE:

I have yet to observe any impact to search results relating to my site, but they are definitely appearing for some sites.

Bob

Thanks Bob as always  

Great move by google now users don't have wander around the web to find things.

vikashmundaa said

Great move by google now users don't have wander around the web to find things.

It's a mixed bag.

It also means that people may not need to visit your site if Google presents the information they are looking for on its search page. It really just depends on how deep Google goes with presenting the information from a site.

Bob

I heard they were only tapping Wikipedia at the moment…but we'll see.

They do have this to say:

Jack Menzel, Product Management Director of Search at Google

We found that by doing better information summaries, the vast majority of the time people don't just get facts and walk away. Actually, it entices them to go a little deeper. And now they have the time for it since their research was faster.

Yes, just Wikipedia at the moment. My site links show the Wikipedia article rather than my site. I have noticed over the past week a softening of visits to my site while Wikipedia visits to the article I penned are sporadically higher. This is a bit worrying – actually more worrying than if the information for the the snippets was coming from my site.

Google's goal is to keep people on their site where they can continue to display their ads; sending people to my site doesn't really garner them anything that they can monetize.

Bob

I think you are find the right point in this case. Money goes first everything.

Harry-

I stand by what I said regarding Google attempting to keep people on their search pages but I was surprised this morning to see the information displayed for my site's main URL to be the site front page with a couple of items highlighted by being "zoomed". It will be interesting to see what impact this has.



Bob

Yup. I'am follow this to.

And now this "little" change in the way Google presents products with a full-on demand for payment by merchants for listings.

This doesn't even affect my site but I sure don't like where Google is headed many of these changes that lack transparency to the casual search user.

Bob