Google Tests Auto Play Videos in the Search Results

Google search engine is by far the most popular search engine today. If you want to look for something online, your best resort is to use the services of Google search. Nevertheless, Google is not only available for you, but it is the benchmark for search engine optimization or SEO, and the underlying reasons are obvious.

When you look for stuff via the Internet, say a used car, you only need to open Google search and there enter relevant keywords. Google will then provide you several pages of search results containing a list of websites on used car. You will then browse each website listed in the search results for the best deal. But typically, you would only pay attention to the first few pages, not to the succeeding pages of search results.

Studies show that 80 percent of online traffic comes from search engines. A large part of that prefers Google over others. Thus, if you are to catch a good percentage of the online market, your best bet is to study how Google ranks websites and lists in search results. It makes use of algorithms to determine how relevant a website is in relation to certain keywords. Search engines send robots to crawl or study each page of a website to determine its relevance.

Recently in order to improve its search features Google is running a small experiment wherein videos automatically play in the knowledge panel. While it’s a surprising move by Google, the test does not mean auto-play will be rolled out to everyone.

Jennifer Slegg from the SEM Post discovered that when searching for movies or series on Google Auto play videos appear in the so-called Knowledge Panel. She also realized that some ad blockers prevent the videos from starting automatically or that start the videos without sound. In addition, the videos will only play once automatically.

Still, it is just a test
Whether this innovation will be so strong that it will lead to a global roll out remains to be seen and certainly depends on how the users take it. However, these are accustomed by Facebook and Co. at least a little bit to this function. Understandably, Google’s move is likely to be because the company is trying to keep more traffic on its own. Not least, Google has recently released an update for its own feed in the app, which is thinking of personalized interest management in connection with search queries.

Will the Autoplay videos also spread to other areas than film and series in the search queries? It is conceivable. Similar to the now obligatory snippets on Google, the videos could spare those interested in another click. The direct play could also annoy many, even remember advertising. Paradoxically, the Autoplay videos are not linked to advertising. So you could see about Google rather ad-free trailer etc. than on YouTube.