Google Launches Continuous Scroll for Desktop
Could it be the end of Gooooogle? Not for the search engine, but for the long word at the bottom of each results page that directs you to the next several pages. If you regularly use Google search, you may have already noticed that navigating to the next page of results looks a bit different lately. In fact, you’ll probably find there isn’t a next page at all.
Scrolling to the bottom of what has traditionally been page one in Google now pulls up a whole new set of results. Keep scrolling down, and more and more results will likely appear without you having to click “Next.” This is a new feature that’s been tested in Google results on and off for years. As of December 2022, this “continuous scroll” system has officially been launched.
What Is Continuous Scroll?
Continuous scroll is the updated way that Google displays its search results. This feature originally launched for mobile users in October 2021, and last month, it started rolling out for desktop users in the U.S. as well. Not to be confused with “infinite scroll,” Google’s continuous scrolling automatically displays up to six pages of results as you keep moving down the page. Once you reach the end of this first group of results, you’ll need to click a “More results” button to view more.
While this may sound like a major change to some, continuous scrolling isn’t anything new for Internet users. In addition to this already existing in Google on mobile devices, social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn also offer continuous scroll in their newsfeeds. According to Google, this update to its desktop site is intended to help users “continue to see more helpful search results with fewer clicks.”
What Does Continuous Scroll Look Like?
When you first put in your search query, you may not see anything different. Local results remain the same, and ads are still displayed on the page. After you scroll through approximately 10 organic results, though, you’ll see a new set of results automatically populate.
Here’s an example of what this looks like in action:
How Will Continuous Scroll Affect Your Site?
While most people tend to click one of the first search results, Google’s continuous scroll makes it easier for users to keep browsing for the right resource. In theory, this could allow websites ranking on page two and beyond to get more visibility, since users simply keep scrolling and don’t need to click “Next” to navigate to the following page. Plus, as Google continues to fill the beginning of its results with ads, featured snippets, and other special results, this could potentially help organic results farther down get noticed better.
The verdict is still out on whether continuous scrolling will have much of an impact on SEO, but the impressions for both your website and Google Ads will likely increase as people navigate to additional pages with minimal effort. This means that even if people don’t click on your page or ad, you’re visible on the page of results they’ve reached, which creates the potential for more site visitors in the future.
To learn how you can improve your website’s visibility in search engines, we invite you to contact our experienced team at Rosemont Media!