Google just announced that it will be using a new type of formatting for how newsgroups present their data in Search results. This will make it easier for users to find the information they need. The move to make data more accessible is part of the Google News Initiative. The project allows the company to work together with the journalism and news industry to build a stronger and more dynamic future for news.
So far, Google has collaborated with 30 expert data journalists to develop ways to better present key data. The partnership has resulted in a format well-suited for search results. Users will now see structured data in a tabular form displayed directly in the top search result. The format makes it more readable and easier for users to locate the information they need. It has also made it simpler to add structured data to a website’s existing code.
Google has used indexed data in Search before, but it’s only now that news organizations are included.
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ProPublica has already utilized this improved method of showing search results. The news organization’s Deputy Managing Editor, Scott Klein, commented on the enhanced presentation and said the real-world impact news orgs have make it vital that people are given the information they need when they need it.
“If we can make the data we’ve worked hard to collect and prepare available to people at the very moment when they’re researching a big life decision, and thereby help them make the best decision they can, it’s an absolute no-brainer for us,” Klein said. He also added that adding extra code is trivial at best.
Google has been on a mission to improve Chrome, with reports of a makeover or an improved image search function floating around for months now. But changing the format for how data is presented in search results so that it’s comprehensive and easier to understand is the right step to take.
[Featured image via Pixabay]