If you’re also the type of person who is careful to click on dubious links in search results, then here’s some good news: Google renovation its native search engine to give us more information about the results we see before making these risky clicks.
Almost all search results in English will receive a new widget designed to reveal a little about the site they actually lead to. The update will be launched on the desktop, mobile and in the Google Android application for US searchers starting today.
When you receive the update, you may notice a new small ellipse in the upper right corner of a specific search result. If you tap, you’ll get a basic message about the actual site the result leads to – from Wikipedia when it’s available. The new panel will also tell you if your connection to this site is “sure“Which means it uses the HTTPS protocol. (You can read everything about what it is and why it matters Here.)
If the site doesn’t have its own Wikipedia page, Google says it will try to show “additional context” about the site it has at hand, such as when the search giant indexed The site. And if you’re one of the many, many people who feel the ads on Google looks a little too much just like the actual search results, you’ll be happy to know that these new blurbs also tell you whether or not a particular link is an ad.
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Whether you’re likely to get this update later today or – if you’re outside the US – for an unknown period in the future, this is a good reminder to always be careful where you click.