Google Search surfaces more short videos, forums, and UGC - what it means for clicks and brand visibility

Key details

Reid cited a shift in where people seek answers, including among younger users, and said ranking changes reflect growing interest in short-form video, forums, and UGC. The remarks were made during WSJ's The Future of Everything podcast.

"There is a behavioral shift ... people are going to short-form video, forums, and user-generated content," Reid said.

"We have over time adjusted our ranking to surface more of this content," she said.

"You make changes and there are winners and losers," she noted about ranking updates.

On monetization, Reid said performance with AI Overviews has remained stable overall, though individual queries may see fewer ad clicks even as overall query volume grows.

"The revenue with AI Overviews has been relatively stable," Reid said.

"Most queries do not have any ads at all," Reid said.

Reid said lower-friction tools like Lens and AI Overviews can increase total searches. She also emphasized clearer attribution in Search experiences.

"We have started doing more with inline links," she said, referencing source attribution. She described building source prominence to support brand recognition and click-through.

Regarding quality, Reid said Google continues to refine what it considers low-value content as part of ongoing ranking and policy work.

"We have ... expanded beyond this concept of spam to sort of low-value content," she said.

"We test changes based on research and how users actually act," Reid said.

Background

Google has introduced features that highlight first-hand content from communities, including the Perspectives view and "hidden gems" ranking improvements launched in 2023 to surface insights from forums, social platforms, and individual creators.

AI Overviews rolled out to U.S. users in May 2024, summarizing topics and linking to cited sources. Google has also emphasized clearer attribution with more prominent inline links, noting that deeper material often draws clicks from AI-generated answers.

In March 2024, Google announced updates to reduce low-quality content in Search and updated spam policies addressing scaled content and expired domain abuse. Reid's comments on low-value content align with that posture.

Source

This report is based on statements made by Liz Reid during a Wall Street Journal podcast interview. Background references reflect previously announced Google Search features and policy updates.