Web Guide: What is Google’s New Experimental Feature?

Last month, Google announced the launch of a new Search Labs experiment, Web Guide. This bold new feature will alter the way Google presents information. Instead of a linear list of blue links, Web Guide will cluster search results into topic-based groups, providing users with a more structured and exploratory experience. The aim is to make it easier than ever for users to find relevant information. 

Web Guide will use the ‘query fan-out’ technique, gathering multiple results from related searches to offer a comprehensive answer for a single query. It will organise results under AI-generated headings, typically with a short summary. 

Web Guide differs from AI Mode, which offers conversational summaries, as it doesn’t provide direct answers itself, instead mapping topics out to guide users towards web content created by real people. 

Why Does This Matter?

Web Guide is another significant shift for Search, affecting visibility and user behaviour. With content being structured into topic clusters, it’s likely going to alter the way we approach content. 

It also poses a concern for click-through rates. AI Overviews have already had a significant impact on clicks, and while Web Guide will still link to external sites, placement could have a huge effect on click-through rates. 

What Should Marketers Do? 

Your content strategy must have a stronger focus on addressing multiple angles of a topic and be optimised for related subtopics, not just a single keyword. 

Marketers and website owners should consider: 

• Structure - Organise content around clear, distinct themes that are likely to align with potential Web Guide clusters. 
• Metadata - Subheadings, meta descriptions, alt text, and title tags need to reflect the content to ensure AI understands it. 
• Web-Guide data - Once available, tracking the shift in visibility depending on cluster placement will be crucial. 

Keep an Eye Out For Web Guide

For now Web Guide will only be accessible to opted-in users, who can switch back to traditional results at any time. Over time, Google plans to show AI-organised results in the ‘All’ results tab - so it’s important to keep an eye out as this new feature becomes more widespread. 

Web Guide is just another step towards the future of AI-assisted search, and it does have the potential to offer a real opportunity to gain visibility in the search results. If you’d like expert help navigating the new world of Search, then get in touch with us today. 

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