Google has updated how results for podcasts appear in Search. It now gives you a card-based personalized podcast directory instead of showing individual episodes. The new layout is similar to movie and TV show recommendations on Google.
Google revamps podcast search results
Before this update, searching for podcasts on Google gave you a list of episodes that you could start playing with just a few taps. But the company has now replaced that layout with a podcast directory with several filters. When you search for a type of podcast — for example, “news podcast” or “comedy podcast” — you’ll get a new “Podcasts” card. It lets you filter results by platform (Spotify or Google Podcasts), country (United States, United Kingdom, and more), and topics such as business, health, history, law, technology, etc.
All filtered results are categorized in carousels. You get categories such as Popular podcasts, Established podcast series, Politics, etc. with multiple shows under each category. Tapping any podcast show will bring up a new card featuring the cover art of that show at the top, followed by links to Spotify and/or Google Podcasts. You can tap those links to start listening to the podcast on your preferred platform. Google Search also gives you a “Visit Website” shortcut. You can swipe to browse through shows.
Below those links is the description of the show, complete with its genre, release frequency, and average episode duration. Further below, you’ll find a “Latest Episodes” section that details the last three episodes of the show. You get the release date, duration, title, and a brief description. However, as noted by 9to5Google, you cannot tap on individual episodes here to directly jump onto that. You must go through the links at the top. The previous layout allowed you to directly play podcast episodes from search results.
The redesign gives you personalized podcast recommendations
However, an advantage of the redesign is that you’ll get personalized recommendations if you’re signed in to Google. Search will recommend you podcasts based on your search and browsing history, saved podcasts, and podcast preferences. If you aren’t signed in, Google will look for “what’s popular or trending in Google products, what’s mentioned across the web, and what’s new” to recommend shows. You can update your preferences to get better suggestions.
The new “Podcasts” card is available for search queries in English in the US. You can access it on the Google app on your phone or Google.com. The company doesn’t tell when this redesign will be available in other parts of the world.
