Google Search is constantly being improved, reworked, and refreshed with new ideas and new functions, like Google’s decision to test out black colored links instead of using the traditional blue that everyone is used to seeing. Recently it was also discovered that Google Search would begin to show live TV listings right in the results list, effectively helping to do away with the need for the TV guide for good. Now, Google is beginning to add “Rich Cards” into search results, starting with a couple of different categories, and as of yesterday’s announcement about the new feature, results will start things off by showing rich cards for recipes and movies, with more categories planned for the near future.
Visually the new rich cards aren’t massively different from the way things looked before, but they’re just different enough to perhaps capture more attention as the results will appear more like a large thumbnail, complete with a decently-sized image to show off things off. If, for example, you’re searching for a recipe on cupcakes, just like the image above, a new rich card would appear showing off a large image of the cupcakes for that particular recipe, along with the link right below the image, a star ranking, and the name of the website where the search results will direct you.
All rich cards are laid out in a carousel-style presentation so users can easily swipe to the left or right to sift through them. While the rich cards are a huge benefit to users, they were also designed to help attract more attention for site owners. As Google notes on their blog post, the thumbnail images help users visually recognize what they’re looking for which can help them to find what they were searching for faster than just scrolling through a list of links and text. At the moment, Google states that rich cards will appear first for recipes and movies in English on the Google website, and although Google has not yet mentioned other categories that they plan to include, they do state that they’re actively experimenting with more opportunities for the new format.