In order to survive, companies must engage in web marketing. Within the realm of web marketing, there are various terms, one of which is ” Universal Search .”

Even so, many may not be familiar with the term “Universal Search” and might say, “I don’t know much about it” or “I’ve never heard of it.”

So, in this article, we’ll explain the overview of Universal Search and its relationship with SEO and featured snippets. For those engaged in web marketing, please read on until the end.

Meaning of Universal Search

What is Universal Search?

Universal Search refers to a feature that, when you search on Google, displays not only URL and text information but also various content such as images, videos, shopping, news, and maps.

For example, if you search for “Tokyo lunch date recommendations,” the search results will display a map with pins on Google Maps, showing recommended restaurants for lunch dates in Tokyo.

Furthermore, when searching for a company name, you may see a summary of the company’s profile on the right side of the page. As a result of the introduction of Universal Search, users can quickly find the desired information without having to visit web pages, making it a user-first mechanism.

Example of Universal Search

For topical queries, news search results are displayed.

In addition, searches for names of individuals or characters may display image search results or YouTube video search results.

Universal Search blends various results instead of just web pages. These displays are determined by Google and cannot be controlled by site operators.

As shown in the diagram, when searching “orange” on Google, various search results such as images, videos, and top news articles appear in the search results. Universal Search, developed by Google in 2007, displays not only links to web pages but also videos, images, maps, local information, books, blogs, news, reviews, academic papers, etc.

It is said that there are many criteria for evaluating the display of Universal Search results pages, such as “freshness of information.”

SEO practitioners must pay attention not only to web pages but also to various aspects such as images and videos when considering Universal Search.

In this way, Universal Search is a search mechanism that prioritizes users.

Background of Universal Search Implementation

Universal Search is one of the features implemented by Google, starting in 2007. The background behind implementing Universal Search includes the following reasons.

-Putting users first

-Difficulty in mastering vertical search

Top of Form

Putting users first

The first reason lies in Google’s commitment to prioritizing user needs. Prior to the implementation of Universal Search, search results only displayed website URLs and descriptions.

However, what users were seeking was not just URLs and descriptions, but information that resolved their queries. Many users simply want their questions answered, regardless of which website provides the solution. Thus, it became evident that the content itself was more important than the information about the website or its description.

This led to the implementation of Universal Search. Universal Search displays credible information that resolves the keyword entered in the search bar directly on the search results page, allowing users to quickly find the answers they seek.

Difficulty in mastering vertical search

The second reason stems from the difficulty users faced in mastering vertical search. Vertical search refers to the method of searching across various categories such as all, news, images, videos, shopping, etc., by switching tabs below the search bar on the Google search engine.

However, many users were unaware of vertical search, and there were few instances where it was effectively utilized. Moreover, vertical search requires users to choose the search method that best suits the information they desire, once they are aware of its functionalities.

Therefore, by providing the functionalities of vertical search through Universal Search, users can now access them without specifying the search method.

Understanding Universal Search Results

Now that we have grasped the background of Universal Search implementation, it’s intriguing to know how search results are presented. Universal Search typically showcases the following four main elements

• Videos
• Top News
• Images
• Knowledge Graph

Let us delve into each of these.

Videos

The first aspect is the inclusion of videos in search results. Nowadays, it’s quite common to see videos from YouTube appearing in search results. Clicking on a video in the search results redirects you to the link of that video. For YouTube videos, this usually leads to the page where the video is played.

For instance, if you search for ‘home workout’, along with listings of websites explaining home workout methods, you will also find videos uploaded on YouTube demonstrating these exercises.

Moreover, some videos are segmented according to the actions performed at different times. Clicking on a specific time allows you to start playing the video from that point. 

Videos provide a more visual understanding compared to text, which is beneficial for those eager to immediately put things into practice.

Top News

The second feature is the display of top news related to the search query. Top news appears at the top of search results, offering the latest news relevant to the searched keyword. This feature comes in handy when you want to stay updated on current trends.

Images

The third aspect involves the display of images. Images related to the keyword are shown, and clicking on them leads to search results from the image vertical search.

For example, if you search for ‘summer hairstyles’, along with websites about hairstyles, you will also find image search results. Clicking on these results brings up the image search, allowing users who have not utilized vertical search before to benefit from this feature.

Knowledge Graph

The fourth pattern involves the display of Knowledge Graph. Knowledge Graph appears on the right side of search results and is a compilation of not just text but also includes information about places, works, individuals, related links, and more.

For instance, when you search for a particular company, besides finding the company name and information on the left side of the search results, you may also see images and the location of the company displayed using Google Maps.

Users can gain an overview of the company without having to visit its website.

Relationship between Universal Search and Featured Snippets

There is a similar feature to Universal Search called ‘Featured Snippets’. Like Universal Search, Featured Snippets also display information beyond just text in search results. Since they share similar functionalities, few may fully understand the differences between them.

Let us explore the relationship between Universal Search and Featured Snippets.

Featured Snippets

?What are Featured Snippets?

Featured Snippets are displayed in a box format at the top of search results when a search query is deemed a question. They provide information from credible web pages.

For example, if someone searches for ‘how many milligrams in one gram’, the search results will display ‘1000 milligrams per gram’ enclosed in a box at the top.

Being prominently displayed, users can quickly access the information they seek.

Differences between Universal Search and Featured Snippets

The functionalities of Universal Search and Featured Snippets are fundamentally different.

Universal Search offers various search method display formats, while Featured Snippets provide a portion of the search results. Essentially, Featured Snippets are included within Universal Search.

Furthermore, Featured Snippets appear at the top of search results, while Universal Search displays different sections depending on the keyword.

Summary

In this discussion, we’ve covered an overview of Universal Search and its relationship with SEO and Featured Snippets. Universal Search presents various content beyond text. With the spread of Universal Search, users can utilize search engines more effectively. Additionally, Featured Snippets are just a part of Universal Search. Those handling a company’s web marketing should consider SEO strategies tailored to Universal Search and Featured Snippets.

Author Profile

Mr. Takeshi Amano, CEO of Admano Co., Ltd.

Mr. Takeshi Amano is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Nihon University. With 12 years of experience working in the advertising agency industry, he discovered SEO and began his research during the early days of SEO. He self-taught and conducted experiments and verifications on over 100 websites. Using this expertise, he founded Admano Co., Ltd., which is currently in its 11th year of operation. Mr. Amano handles sales, SEO consulting, web analytics (holding the Google Analytics Individual Qualification certification ), coding, and website development. The company has successfully managed SEO strategies for over 2000 websites to date.

Return to the top of Japan SEO