Google is moving towards inputting even more AI technology into its search engine backend. The company has already pushed out AI Overviews, which are meant to provide a summarized answer to any queries you enter, while also offering easy access to the sources it pulled the information from. These appear at the top of almost every search entry made today.
Then, there’s AI Mode, which allows you to talk to Google Search like it’s a full-on AI chatbot more akin to ChatGPT or Claude. While both of these systems have seen their fair share of successes and issues, the big tech company continues to look for new ways to integrate AI directly into search. This time, it appears that Google is coming directly for search results themselves.
In its latest experiment, instead of just ranking the results based on a myriad of other completely unknown factors, which are usually chalked up to “SEO” and “the algorithm,” Google is now testing a new type of search engine sorting called “Web Guide.”
Google’s guide to the internet
Because Web Guide is an experimental feature, Google requires users to opt-in before they can use it. You can opt-in from the Google Labs website, where you’ll then be able to take part in the experiment and see how Google ranks your search results for you.
Google itself suggests trying more open-ended search queries in Search with Web Guide. Google used “how to solo travel in Japan” as an example of how to try it out. A video that the company shared in its blog post shows various options you can click on, as well as some standard AI-generated summaries and headlines. Ars Technica describes it as a mix between standard search and AI Mode, and I have to agree. It really does look like Google has mashed the two features together to try to make something new.
Google says that Web Guide utilizes a custom version of Gemini to “group web links in helpful ways” by bringing pages together that relate to specific aspects of your search query. When enabled, Web Guide replaces the typical “Web” tab that appears in Google. For a while this has been the only way to search Google without using AI, but it appears that option could vanish soon, too. Even if enabled, Web Guide can be toggled on and off in your Google Search settings. So, if you’re interested in letting Google guide how you see the web even more, you can give it a try today.
