YouTube Overhauls Search Results

YouTube is overhauling its search results with changes to the visual presentation of SERPs as well as the types of content returned.

The updates to YouTube search include three significant changes:

• Improved visual presentation
• Automatic translations
• Integration of Google search results

Here’s more about each of these updates.

Making Search Results More Visual

YouTube is making it easier for users to see what a video is about before clicking on it.

The search results pages are now more visual. Instead of a static thumbnail, users can see a preview of each video when they scroll over it.

Users can now make more informed decisions about the content they watch. This is already possible on desktop and now the feature is coming to mobile.

In addition, YouTube search results pages will display video chapters when available.

These time-stamped images detail the different topics covered in videos and let you jump directly to the section most relevant to your search.

“Let’s say you’re looking for a good sourdough recipe and want to work on your kneading technique. With these new search results, you can see all the steps in the video, from feeding the starter to pulling the bread out of the oven – and skip right to the chapter on kneading.”

This feature is available when YouTube videos are returned in Google’s search results, so it makes sense for YouTube itself to add this feature.

Automatic Translations

YouTube is making more content available to more people with the introduction of automatically translated captions, titles, and descriptions.

This makes it possible for users to enjoy a greater variety of videos regardless of the language they’re in.

YouTube will not return translated content for all queries, however. This content will only surface under certain conditions.

When YouTube is not able to return relevant content for a user’s search in their own language, it will return translated content.

“This means that someone in Thailand can learn about quantum physics from a professor at MIT or viewers in Brazil can explore the Grand Canyon from home, with captions in their local language.”

YouTube will first start supplementing search results with English videos, with plans to expand to more languages in the future.

Eventually, YouTube hopes all its content will be accessible through automatic translations.

Google Search Results in YouTube

Google search results are getting integrated into YouTube. But only on a limited basis, for now.

YouTube is experimenting with returning search results from Google when there’s not enough video content available to satisfy a query.

“We also recognize that not all searches may have enough high-quality or relevant video content to fully address what you’re looking for. To better surface information you need, we’ve recently started experimenting with a new feature to complement search results with website links and other formats from Google Search.”

This feature is currently available on mobile devices in India and Indonesia. YouTube will consider further expansion based on user feedback.

The evolution of Google search results on YouTube is worth paying attention to, as it would be a boon to publishers if their content could get found on both sites.

Source: YouTube Official Blog