It looks like that full NCAA Bracket isn’t the only sports-related information that Google is adding to search results.
They have just announced an update that will display interactive info cards for various sports-related queries. This includes schedules, stats, and standings for the NBA, NFL MLB, and more.
“League schedules are now grouped by day/week, so you can easily see who’s playing and when. Clicking on a game gives you detailed information with links to more content on official sites. You can find complete league standings just by doing a quick search for [NBA standings], and you can even see the latest stats from your favorite players,” says Google.
If you want to see this in action, just search “NBA.” You’ll see a “scores and schedule” card above all results that is viewable by date. When you click on an individual game, you’ll see the teams’ records, the time and location of the game. You’ll also see a couple of links to outside sites – “preview” and “tickets” links to NBA.com.
Here’s what searching “NBA standings” looks like, once you’ve expanded the info card:
Sure takes up a lot of the results page, huh?
Of course, when Google puts information like this inside search results, it makes it less likely that you’ll need to visit an another site to obtain what you’re looking for. These info cards, along with Knowledge Graph, have and will continue to impact traffic to other sites. But for users, it’s a great feature that gives them the info they desire, faster.