Universal Search, also known as Blended Search or Enhanced Search, is a search engine feature that combines various types of content (such as web pages, images, news, videos, and maps) in the search results pages (SERPs) to provide users with the most relevant and diverse information possible.
It was introduced by Google in 2007 as a way to improve user experience and make it easier for users to find the information they need without having to navigate through multiple specialized search engines.
In Universal Search, search engines like Google analyze the user’s query and determine which types of content are most relevant to the search intent.
The search engine then displays an assortment of content in the SERPs, often prioritizing different content types based on relevance and user intent.
For example, a search for a popular tourist destination might return a mix of web pages, images, videos, and map locations, while a search for a news event might prioritize news articles and videos.
To optimize your website for Universal Search, it’s important to create and publish diverse, high-quality content that appeals to different user intents. This may include blog posts, images, videos, and other multimedia assets. Additionally, make sure to properly optimize each content type for search engines using appropriate meta tags, alt attributes, and structured data markup.
External resources:
- Google’s Universal Search announcement – The official announcement of Universal Search by Google.
- Search Engine Land’s guide to Universal Search – A comprehensive guide to understanding and optimizing for Universal Search.