Why it matters: Google recently introduced continuous scrolling, providing mobile users with enhanced access to information and search results. The new feature will let mobile users scroll through results rather than having to tap for the next set. The addition follows Google’s mobile search redesign, which rolled out earlier this year, to provide users with a cleaner, more focused search experience.
On Thursday, Google Search Product Manager Niru Anand announced the company’s rollout of continuous scrolling functionality for U.S. mobile users. Search engines have historically relied on pagination to deliver search results. Instead of actively advancing to another page, continuous scrolling allows mobile users to view up to four pages of search results. This feature enhances engagement while supplying a more intuitive experience for mobile users accustomed to scrolling and swiping across displays.
The new feature rolled out on iOS and Android in the U.S. for English-based searches last week. Continuous scrolling benefits users who no longer have to break from results to click and load additional results manually. It will also help Google and their search-based advertising partners by ensuring mobile users spend more time on the platform, increasing advertising visibility.
For many, the search function in Google (or any other search engine for that matter) is nothing more than a text field where you enter a question or term, and you’re instantly provided with hundreds to thousands of relevant results to sift through. Unlike the simple virtual libraries and asset collections of the early ’90s, search has grown into a dynamic, living service that plays a critical role for users, organizations, and businesses worldwide. It is a complex, evolving, revenue-generating service focused on constantly organizing results, enhancing findability, and optimizing user experience.
Continuous scrolling is just another step in Google’s current refinement of its search service offerings. Earlier this year, the company rolled out a mobile redesign to simplify the user search experience, enhance readability, and guide users to important information while minimizing distractions and noise.
Image credit: Mobile search by Solen Feyissa; User scrolling by Artem Beliakin