Google's New Web Results Section Might Bring the Old SERP Back

A major part of Google’s strategy these past few years has been to diversify the results that people see in its SERP. Videos, images and shopping results have all been thrown into the mix, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, Google might be returning to its classic SERP based on a recent experiment that they conducted.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Google might include a new section in the SERP that will only feature web results. This new section is right under the search box and next to the “All” section, with other sections following it to its right, as spotted by Punit.

Recent Google test hints at a return to classic SERP layout, featuring a dedicated web results section.
Screenshots: @punit6008@c.im / Mastodon

Such a change might be beneficial because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up bringing back the ten blue links era that might make research easier than might have been the case otherwise. It remains to be seen whether or not Google will actually roll out the changes that it is experimenting with, since the company tends to test things out only to abandon them later on.

Regardless of this, the test suggests that Google isn’t just looking at its SERP from the myopic lens of constant progress. Indeed, the tech juggernaut may actually be interested in giving users the option to see their results in the classic format, something that will create a lot of buzz in the SEO community in particular with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Google had previously tested out search boxes for web results, and there’s a chance that the search engine will feature one of these two variants of the SERP. The search box variant is somewhat more in line with the changes Google has been making as of late, but there’s also a strong possibility that the ten blue links format would make a comeback. The reintroduction of this SERP will have a ripple effect for the entire SEO industry and impact search behavior in general, although some are saying that relegating it to a different tab will reduce the desired effect.

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