Google Search has unveiled a significant transformation to its search experience, eliminating the traditional pagination system and embracing infinite scrolling.
This move marks a significant shift in how users navigate and interact with search results, paving the way for an era of ‘uninterrupted discovery’.
Gone are the days of clicking through numbered pages, each revealing a finite set of results. Now, with infinite scrolling, users seamlessly navigate a continuous stream of relevant information, exploring the vast expanse of search results.
User-centric approach
Google's decision to adopt infinite scrolling is rooted in a deep understanding of user behaviour and a commitment to enhancing the search experience.
Studies have shown that users often abandon a search query before reaching the second page of results, indicating a desire for immediate access to more relevant information. Infinite scrolling addresses this need directly, providing a unified and uninterrupted exploration of search results.
By eliminating pagination, Google Search allows users to effortlessly navigate through a vast sea of information, fostering a more engaging and intuitive search experience.
The concerns
Whilst this new approach helps to foster a more fluent experience across desktop and mobile, it has led to user confusion, as Google’s own forums will testify, as people do not understand why the pages numbers have gone.
It also means that advertisements that were previously clearly stationed at the top as sponsored results now appear at different points on the page based on how far you have scrolled.
As with anything new, the revised scrolling experience will take some getting used to but is expected to enhance they search experience.
