Back in February 2021, Google rolled out the “About this result” feature on mobile search results. It looks like this and gives the user basic information about any given search result:
As of a few days ago Google has expanded this feature to include information as to why a given webpage ranks for the query. This new feature is denoted with the “Your search & this result” heading.
Here is an example of this feature triggered by a legal-relevant query, that our very own Ashton Goad found in the wild:
As you can see Google is providing the following information as to why this page ranks for the search term “what kind of lawyer should I hire”:
- Specific terms that were searched appear in the result
- Terms that are related to the search appear in the result
- Other websites with the search terms link to the result
- The result is in the same laguage
- The result is relevant to searches from the location of the searcher
In other words, in order to rank in Google for a specific search, it’s important that you:
- Use words that are specific to the search
- Use words that are related to the search
- Get links from websites that also use words related to the search
- Write in the same language as the search
- Use words that indicate that your result is relevant to the location of the searcher
None of this is really new information. We know that in order to rank in Google you must produce content that is relevant to specific searches. We know you need to use keywords, related keywords, get links, and localize your information.
However, as SEOs we are always looking for confirmation from Google as to what factors they use to determine where a given page ought to rank for a given query. With this new “Your search & this result” feature, Google is offering transparency into why a certain result ranks for a certain query, and we are all about that.
Have you seen examples of this feature for other legal keywords? We’d love to see what you found in the comments below!
