Google confirmed it’s testing a feature that takes the searcher from the search results page to a third-party site, then anchors them to that exact location on the site while highlighting that content. This is something Google originally did on mobile through the AMP cache, and is now being tested on desktop and Chrome browsers.
What it looks like. Glenn Gabe was the first to spot this and posted numerous examples on Twitter. Below are some of those examples:
Searchers can see and click on a featured snippet on desktop search:
After it’s clicked, searchers are taken to the site and Google will move the view down to the highlighted location of the relevant content:
Glenn provided additional examples here.
David Bokan, a Google Chromium engineer, confirmed on Twitter that Google is testing the feature on approximately 5% of Google searchers:
Not just AMP. Previously, this launched in 2018 for AMP mobile pages but now Google is trying it for Chrome desktop users as well. Essentially, the new feature no longer requires solely AMP content.
Why we should care. With this, searchers may skip down past ads and/or call to actions to jump directly to the relevant content. SEOs should take measures to track if your site is doing this in Google search, and possibly replace your ads/call to actions in a more appropriate location.
About The Author
Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land’s News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on SEM topics.