Reuters is reporting that on October 4, 2024, Google began testing a new feature that adds verified check marks next to certain businesses in its search results. The goal of this initiative is to help users identify legitimate companies and avoid fake websites that could present misleading information. The feature, currently visible to a limited number of users, highlights verified businesses such as Apple and Meta. This experiment aims to enhance user trust in search results, following a trend of increasing concerns around online fraud and misinformation.
“We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy businesses online, and we are currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google,” – Google public affairs via The Verge.
When a user hovers over the checkmark a tooltip like display reads, “Google’s signals suggest that this business is the business that it says it is,”.
To learn more about how this change may impact your search results or your business, contact Joe today!