Google Updates Podcast and Image Search Options to Help Business Owners

Google’s ability to help consumers find the information they want online can help retailers who want to reach new customers. With millions of searches performed each second, there are many opportunities for companies to be seen by their target audience. While most SEO efforts are focused on the words of the website, marketers shouldn’t overlook the other kinds of searches on Google. Last week, Google announced changes to its image and podcast searching features that create new opportunities for business owners.

Podcasts are audio programs that focus on a particular topic. Most podcasts are regular broadcasts and feature a subject that interests a target audience. Over the past year, Google has made several updates to make it easier for consumers to find the podcasts they want to hear by searching on Google.

Earlier this year, Google began using podcast transcripts for SEO, so search results weren’t limited to the information in the title and description. Last week, Google announced a feature that would make some podcast playable from the search results page.

In a post explaining the new feature Zack Renee-Weedeen wrote, “Starting today, when you’re searching for a podcast about a topic on Google, such as “podcasts about Awkwafina” or “Instant Pot recipe podcasts,” we’ll show you playable episodes in Search results alongside web pages, news, images and videos. We’ll surface these episodes based on Google’s understanding of what’s being talked about on a podcast, so you can find even more relevant information about a topic in audio form.”

Businesses and content creators that use podcasts will benefit from this new feature. A well-written podcast will grab the attention of the audience quickly. Allowing people to hear some of the podcast without leaving the search results will get more people to listen. Google says that eventually, searchers won’t even have to include the term “podcast” in the search.

Google also changed the way Google Image search looks for searchers on a desktop computer. The new system makes people more likely to visit a website after seeing the image on Google Image Search.

Here’s how Google described the new interface when it was launched in early August, “Starting today, when you select an image, it appears in a side panel on the page, next to the search results. Importantly, it stays there as you scroll, letting you easily compare images with others on the page. Do this as many times as you want without losing track of what you looked at; just hit the back button to bring up the last image you clicked on.”

When searchers select an image that shows a product for sale, Google will provide more information that can lead to sales and website visits. Searchers on a desktop will now see details such as the brand, price, availability, and reviews. Google also added captions to the related images shown under the image the person selected, so the user knows where they’re going before they click the image.

For more recent news about changes and updates to Google, check out this article on changes to the GoogleBot used for webmaster tools.