A Guide to Google Multisearch

Despite its consistent title as the most popular search engine, Google never stops working. Its mission — ‘to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful is a big one, considering the fact that our collective knowledge bank and the internet never stop growing.

The search engine has certainly come a long way since it was established in the 1990s. Back then, few could have imagined the massive impact that Google would have on our lives — to the point where it is now a verb in its own right.

Google’s latest innovation has certainly raised a few eyebrows amongst the SEO community. While still only available in beta version, Google Multisearch has the potential to radically alter how online searches are conducted, which will certainly have ramifications for website owners everywhere.

Read on to learn a little more about Google Multisearch and how an SEO company in Melbourne expects Google’s newest and shiniest release to impact search engine optimization.

What is Google Multisearch?

A few weeks ago, Google announced the beta version of their newest iteration of online search — Google Multisearch.

Multisearch is billed as a way to ‘go beyond the search box,’ enabling users to search using both visuals and text at the same time.

We’ve all encountered situations where we just can’t quite put into words what we’re searching for. Maybe it takes a few goes to communicate your query to Google. Perhaps, on a rare occasion, the search engine doesn’t understand what you need. Often, this happens when we’re trying to describe a specific object or product. Enter Google Multisearch.

By harnessing the power of Google Lens, Multisearch will enable you to take a photo, add words, and search using both types of queries simultaneously. Say, for example, your friend has an indoor plant that you think would look great in your apartment. Unfortunately, they can’t remember what the plant is called and you want to make sure the lighting in your place is right before purchasing it.

Simply snap a photo using Google Lens, add the search terms ‘how to care for’ and Google will both identify the plant and provide you with care instructions.

How does it do this?

Google and AI

Google has long been a proponent of Artificial Intelligence. In fact, AI technology powers most of their products. In their own words:

‘AI is making it easier for people to do things every day, whether it’s searching for photos of loved ones, breaking down language barriers in Google Translate, typing emails on the go, or getting things done with Google Assistant.’

Advancements made in AI have made Google Multisearch possibly and will continue to affect the ways people search online for decades to come.

Multisearch and SEO

Perhaps more importantly, how will Multisearch affect the visibility of your website?

Well, currently the technology is only available in beta version for US customers who conduct searches in English. Google is still testing the technology and it will probably be a few years before it’s made widely available.

At this early stage, the jury is still out as to the impact that Multisearch will have on SEO performance. John Mueller from Google recently provided some greater insight in a Google Office Hours Hangout session, suggesting that at this stage, those who provide SEO services don’t need to do much beyond implementing standard best SEO practices for both content and image optimization. This means using relevant and targeted keywords and ensuring images are optimized for the best performance.

More information will certainly come to light as Multisearch becomes more widely available.

The future of SEO

Experts who provide SEO services are always trying to predict what the future of search engine optimization might look like. Google is quite open about changes they make to their algorithms and what ranking factors they consider when calculating search engine rankings. After all, it’s in their best interests that websites provide a positive user experience.

Google’s increased investment in AI technology indicates the direction their services are headed. Eventually, you can imagine interacting with a search engine will be like having your own personal assistant available 24/7 — a subject matter expert on every possible topic in the universe. You might think that Google has already achieved this but they believe they’ve got a fair way to go.

Their new algorithm technology MUM, for example, is said to be 1,000 times more powerful than their current model, BERT.

Despite whatever else might be going on in the background, Google assures SEO experts that the best way they can approach search engine optimization is by always keeping the user at the forefront of their minds. Every decision about content and technical development should be made with the intention of improving the user experience.

For more information about Google Multisearch or how to best prepare your website for the future of Google, contact an SEO company in Melbourne today.