1000 tests a day – that’s how many tests Google aims to perform to improve the quality of search results. Their controls are tightening in particular regarding knowledge panels, breaking news, and autocomplete.
Knowledge panels and featured snippets had already noticeably enhanced the search results, and autocomplete suggested trends in searches to users. In this process, the intelligence desk team monitors events in real-time and adds relevant data. Since 2017, over a million quality tests have taken place in this manner in order to provide users with the best results.
Optimization of internal search engine systems ensured that news is now available to users within a few minutes of an event taking place. At the same time, work is being done to ensure that search engines can eliminate the circulation of fake news or disinformation more quickly. Google had made the importance of this clear, especially regarding COVID-19, natural disasters, and civic participatory events.
Collaborations between Google and other players, such as health organizations or Wikipedia, also ensure that knowledge panels are equipped with trustworthy information. These players are Google’s information source for the panels. Additionally, this information is revised by Wikipedia editors themselves so that misinformation can’t worm its way in. In addition, Google’s security systems come into play here, so that in total 99% of misinformation is detected.
Quality assurance is also provided by the addition of fact checks for search, news, and image search. The recent update Natural Language Understanding of Google BERT compares the existing fact checks with the news. Full coverage will also soon feature news from different perspectives in order to guarantee that news stays unbiased.
The autocomplete feature also plays a very special role. It serves to avoid showing questionable suggestions. Particularly regarding the upcoming elections, users should not be shown manipulative search entries. Generally said, Google wants to avoid unreliable search results.
For users, this means getting more and more appropriate results for their search queries. However, the results are still determined by Google and do not always reflect all the aspects that would be important in certain subject areas in order for people to be able to form their own uninfluenced opinions about issues.
