During a statement in the press, Vincent Courson, Search Outreach Specialist at Google, returned to the way in which Google’s associated searches are generated at the bottom of the results page. In this article, the objective is therefore to present you with some answers provided by the specialist of the most used search engine in France, then to answer the most frequently asked questions on the subject.
Google uses a number of personalized features to optimize the user experience on its search engine and ensure that the user finds the answer to his question as quickly as possible.
Long before PAA (People Also Ask), position 0, Easter Eggs (useful) which provide instant answers or even rich extracts in search results, Google has a very useful historical feature in SEO: searches. associated .
What is a related search on Google?
A related search on Google is a very specific type of search query generated automatically by the search engine, and which allows users to explore topics related to their initial query .
This type of search is useful for quickly finding what you are looking for if you are having trouble formulating your exact query or for discovering topics similar to your initial request.
For example, if you do a general Google search for “bicycles,” you’ll get a list of product results with prices and reviews. A related search, however, can help you broaden your search and find other relevant topics such as “bike accessories”, “bike tours” or “best mountain bikes 2023“.
To perform a related search on Google, you don’t have to do anything (since it’s automatic 😉 ):
- Type your subject in the search box
- Go to the bottom of the results page
- Look at the list of suggestions that appears below
- You can then select the suggestion you want to explore further
This is what the display of related searches looked like before the latest updates (this is no longer the current display, we will see it later).
When launching the function:
After a first update:
Related searches ≠ Google search suggestions
Be careful not to confuse them with the search suggestions in the search bar.
Unlike search suggestions, related searches are placed at the end of the results page in the form of :
- Two columns of clickable links : when queries are short
- A single column: when related searches are too long to fit on a single line
Below is an example of related searches displayed by Google on the query “ google SEO ”. In this specific case, I am connected to my Google account and it therefore has access to my search history (in traditional browsing on Chrome, without using private browsing):
How are related searches generated by Google?
According to Vincent Courson, related searches are an alternative to clicking on the second page of search results.
They make it possible to help the Internet user to find the answer to his question (or his need) more quickly by providing him with additional or more precise research .
“Related searches” exist to answer this second scenario: to indicate to the user what other search he could carry out to refine his results.
Vincent Courson
Concretely, Google uses 4 main elements to generate its related searches:
- By analyzing the “popular” queries associated with the query typed by the Internet user
- By integrating personalization elements if the Internet user is connected to his Google account
- Taking into account the geographical location of the Internet user, if this data is available
- By adding additional terms to the query to refine the level of detail of the query (construction of longer-tail queries)
How to use related searches for your website?
First, it’s a way to better understand the search intent behind your customers’ query . These elements make it possible to identify the searches which are, as their name indicates, associated with the query.
In other words, you will be able to add additional content to your pages, likely to interest Internet users and your audience from these associated searches. It is therefore a way of increasing the user experience of its pages by responding more precisely to the requests of the user .
It’s not just the user who stands to gain from using related searches, as part of keyword planning, you might also find what you’re looking for at the bottom of search results pages. This can help find new content ideas, more targeted, rather long tail.
One can quite imagine using certain associated search keywords as the child page of the basic query, for example.
On top of that, these are often keywords with little competition as they are searched for and appear on the search results page.
FAQ: Google Related Searches
How can Google generate such accurate related searches?
Google is able to generate such accurate related searches because it uses an algorithm to identify patterns from the millions of searches performed each day. When keywords and phrases are entered into the search engine, Google processes each word and looks for variations of words that may have been searched for before. This helps Google better understand what other people with similar searches have searched for in the past.
Google also considers factors such as user location and language preference when suggesting related searches. This makes it possible to adapt the results to the needs of each user .
For example, if you search for “weather forecast” in London, you will get a more accurate local weather forecast near your area rather than an overall report.
Google also tracks how often certain terms or combinations of terms are used in past searches to show more relevant results based on these trends.
What if I don’t see any related searches on Google?
If you search for something on Google and no related search shows up, it could mean 3 things:
- That what you are looking for is not popular (but very rare)
- That the information available is limited
- That your search terms are incorrect.
If this happens to you, the best thing to do is to try different combinations of words and phrases to find the desired result. You can also consider using variations of the same term, such as synonyms or antonyms.
Another option is to use a specialized search engine, tailored to specific topics and searches. Also be sure to check for spelling mistakes and typos when you search; these small mistakes can easily lead to incorrect search results.
How do I suppress the display of related Google searches?
It’s relatively easy to suppress the display of Google-related searches.
- The first step is to go to your Google account settings and then click on the “Search” tab.
- From there, you’ll need to uncheck the boxes next to “Related Searches,” along with any other customization options that may be available.
- If you don’t want related searches but still want search suggestions, you can also uncheck the “Show search suggestions” box.
- Finally, you need to click save at the bottom of the page and close your settings.
Once you’ve done this, you should no longer see any related searches when using Google Search.
If you want to dive deeper into the subject : Vincent Courson recommends reading this blog post on Google Discover, a brand new search engine feature covering topics like query-free search, results based on user journeys and more Again.
