Google’s new update has made Search more specific

Adding quotes to search requests will now bring up snippets with more context

(AFP via Getty Images)

Google has improved the way that Search provides more specific results.

Users have been able to search for an exact word or phrase on Google by putting quotation marks around it for some time.

Now, the search giant is improving this further. “The snippets we display for search results (meaning the text you see describing web content) will be formed around where a quoted word or phrase occurs in a web document”, Yonghao Jin, a software engineer on Search, wrote in a blog post.

“That means you can more easily identify where to find them after you click the link and visit the content. On desktop, we’ll also bold the quoted material.”

Previously, Google had declined to make this change because the quoted phrase would turn up in the middle of a document - where the surrounding context would not create a helpful snippet - but decided that it was more useful to see where the quoted material occurs on a page, rather than an overall description of the page.

In its post, Goolgle added some caveats to the effectiveness of quoted searches, which may not match what is immediately visible on a page.

“Sometimes quoted searches match content contained within a web page that isn’t readily visible, making it seem like the content isn’t on the page when it actually is present.”

Google has also been making changes to its other products, having recently given Gmail a new look.

The new Gmail experience links up Meet, Chat, and Spaces - its messaging, video, and group conversation features - into the main client.

It also launched Google’s ‘Material You’ design, which changed the compose button into a squared rectangle and added a new shade to the compose button, side panel and emails that have been read.

“Label lovers will see separate sections for system labels (like Starred, Snoozed and Important) and custom labels you make yourself. And people who love to chat will see conversation bubbles with snippets of incoming messages, along with options to quick reply instead of opening the full message”, Google said.