Google Search experiments A Notes Feature In Google Search App
Google Search Labs is experimenting with a new feature called “Notes”, this will let you add notes about search results and show them on SERP.
What is the Google Search Notes Experiment?
Notes is an experiment by Google search that allows users to create and post insights on displayed search results. These posts are public and anyone can view your notes as well. This experiment can be enabled via Search Labs.
The best part is that notes are indexed by Google, so having notes can also be beneficial for your website ranking, as your site gains additional SERP real estate and engagement signals. For webmasters tracking Google algorithms and geolocation products, exploring how Google integrates experimental features like notes mirrors how navigation apps evolve, as seen in our comparison of Google Maps vs Mappls.
Google Search Notes vs Traditional Engagement Channels
| Feature Attribute | Google Search Notes | Traditional Blog Comments | Social Bookmarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placement | Directly beneath SERP snippets | End of article webpage | Third-party app / browser |
| Creation Platform | Google App (Android / iOS) | Website comment form | Browser extension |
| Indexing Status | Indexed directly in Google SERP | Crawled as on-page HTML | Private / Not indexed |
| Media Support | Text, AI Images, Stickers, GIFs | Plain text or Markdown | URL snippet |
| Spam Moderation | Google algorithmic & human review | Webmaster comment moderation | Platform-dependent |
The best part is that notes are indexed by Google so having notes can also be beneficial for your website rank, as your site may get backlinks
These notes are not only text-based but support images as well, however, we cannot add links to the notes, and they'll be rendered as text. As of now, there's no way for webmasters to get insights of notes however Google is coming up with some solution in the future.
Notes can be added for Google Search results and Google Discover results.
Notes are only available on the Google app on Android and iPhones only.
You can add multiple elements to Notes, such as images, stickers, GIFs, emojis, and text, also you can customize the background i.e., the Theme of the Note.
The images can be added from local storage as well and they can be generated on the fly using AI using the create AI Image option furthermore these images can have frames, and masks as well.
How Notes on Google Search Works
Google Notes is a search experiment by Google, so it's not available for all users, however, if you have signed up for the search labs, you may see an option to enable the notes in the Google App on your smartphone.
Once the notes option is enabled, 2 buttons called add a note and x notes will start showing for all your Google Search results and Google Discover Results. However, these buttons are visible only from Google App on Android and iPhones, not on the website.
Tapping on the Add Note Button opens the page as shown in the screenshot below
As I said earlier, these notes support stickers, images, and GIFs, and they also allow you to customize the theme.
Once you're satisfied with the customizations, you can post the note, these notes are not shown instantly but undergo a review process, and once done, your notes are live for the public.
Once the notes are live, they can by clicking the Notes button
Important point is that these notes are indexed by Google, and so can be shown on SERP
Here's an example of my note
The 3rd result in this screenshot comes from the Google Notes feature, this result is shown on both mobile as well as desktop SERP and it can be seen on the Google App as well as the Website.
This can be a positive signal for your website as having notes, and insights by real people shows the engagement and impressions of your article.
Wrapping up
In conclusion, the addition of the “Notes” feature in Google search is an exciting experiment that allows users to share their insights and comments about search results. With the ability to post public notes and the potential benefits for website ranking, this feature opens up new possibilities for user engagement and interaction with search results. Although currently available only on the Google app for Android and iPhones, the Notes feature provides users with a convenient way to contribute to the search experience. As Google continues to develop and refine this experiment, it will be interesting to see how webmasters can leverage these notes to gain insights and improve their website's performance. Overall, the Notes feature enhances the search experience by incorporating user-generated content and fostering a sense of community within the Google search ecosystem.
