Google’s new Web View search experiment organizes results with AI | TechCrunch

Google on Thursday is launching a new AI-powered feature called Web Guide for organizing Google Search results. Web Guide is a Search Labs experiment that leverages AI technology to organize the search results page by grouping pages related to specific aspects of the search query.

Search Labs experiments are a way for Google to test out new ideas by letting users opt in to those they find interesting. The experiments can be turned on or off at any time and include things like Google’s AI Mode, Notebook LM, filmmaking tool Flow, and other, more niche ideas, like an audio show based on news from your Google Discover feed.

The new Web Guide experiment is a variation on the fan-out technique for displaying search results that Google is already using with its AI Mode. The feature itself is powered by Gemini, which helps Google better understand the search query and then link to other pages that could have been missed if using a traditional Google Search.

Google suggests the feature works well for open-ended search queries, like “how to solo travel in Japan” or even more complex, multi-sentence queries. For instance, you could ask something like “My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?”

Each section of the search results will focus on one type of answer to the query. With the solo travel example, Web Guide would display groupings like those focused on comprehensive guides, safety tips, links where people have shared their personal experiences, and more.

The experiment will be available to those who opt in and will initially reconfigure the search results on the Web tab on Search. You can also turn off this Web View from this tab itself, if you want to see the standard results without having to disable the experiment entirely.

Over time, Google says the experiment will expand to other areas of Search, too, including the “All” tab.