The Internet is a vast ocean of information, and it’s not always easy to find what you’re looking for without the help of search engines.
Google, for example, has a mission to provide its users with relevant, reliable results that match their search intent.
But Google doesn’t stop there: it also wants to help Internet users choose the most trustworthy sources. To this end, it is constantly developing new features for its search engine that can make online searching easier.
Google is currently working on a feature that will enable Internet users to find sites that have mentioned a site appearing in search results. It’s a feature that will change the way we search online.
In this article, we’ll take a look at this feature, called “Mentioned in”, and see what it’s all about.
What’s the point of the “Mentioned in” function?
Showing Internet users other authoritative sites that reference a site will certainly boost confidence in Google’s search results.
Imagine you’re reluctant to click on a particular result in the SERPs, or you have doubts about a site’s reliability. Seeing which sites have mentioned a given site will help you determine which site deserves your click and trust.
In other words, this feature will be a kind of barometer for judging a site’s reliability from the SERPs before you click on its link.
In addition to SEO, it makes backlink acquisition even more important for attracting organic traffic.
What is the Mentioned in function?
While backlinks are one of the main ranking factors, they will soon be part of search results in the same way as meta descriptions.
Source : twaino
Indeed, Google is currently working on a new feature called “Mentioned in”. This is a feature through which Google adds a new section to the extract of a search result.
This will enable Internet users to see which other websites refer to a given site. In other words, when we make queries on Google from now on, we’ll be able to see not only the meta description, but also the site’s backlinks.
How will this feature be used?
Google is testing several versions of this new feature:
The first test version
In this first version, sites that mention the site in search results will not automatically appear following a search.
The feature initially appears in the form of an arrow, which, when clicked down, expands to show referring sites.
This GIF by Brodie Clark gives us a glimpse of how this feature might be deployed.
Source : searchengineland
The feature will appear in the form of a carousel that users can browse to discover other sites where this site is also cited.
The second test version
In this version, the feature is tested without a drop-down list. In fact, the carousel will appear by default. This screenshot from Crystal Carter shows us what this version of the new “Mentioned in” feature looks like.
Source : searchengineland
In a nutshell
All in all, the Mentioned in function that Google is testing will enable Internet users to find from search results pages other sites that mention a given site.
