Google Unveils New AI Feature 'Web Guide' to Enhance Search Results
Google announced a new AI-powered feature called "Page Guides" this week to enhance search result organization. This experimental project from the Search Labs initiative employs artificial intelligence to categorize webpages related to specific aspects of search queries, creating a more structured presentation on Google's search results pages.
The Search Labs program allows users to opt into experimental features while Google tests new concepts. Available experiments include AI Overviews, Notebook LM, filmmaking tool Flow, and niche offerings like audio shows through Google Discover feeds. These features can be activated or deactivated at any time.
The Page Guides experiment represents a variation of Google's fan-out technique used in AI Overviews. Powered by Gemini technology, this functionality helps Google better comprehend complex queries while connecting users to potentially overlooked webpages in traditional search results.
Google recommends using this feature for open-ended queries like "How to travel Japan alone" or multifaceted questions such as "Our family spans multiple time zones. What tools help us stay connected despite the distance?" When activated, the search results will segment different types of answers. For solo travel examples, Page Guides would organize content into categories like comprehensive guides, safety tips, and personal experience shares.
Available to opted-in users, the experiment first appears on the Web tab in search results. Users can toggle the Page Guides view on or off without disabling the entire experiment. Over time, Google plans to extend this functionality to other search areas including the "All" tab.