On Thursday, Google launched a web guide. WebGuide is a search feature powered by a new AI that “links groups in useful ways” for people opting in to tests in the lab. The web guide runs on a custom version of Google's Gemini AI model and reorganizes the traditional “10 blue links” by processing search queries, sorting results, and using the generated AI to find relevant questions.
For those who have chosen to enable web guides, it is currently available within the same “Web” tab in Google Search. This displays search results without including an AI overview. Using the same “Query Fan Out Technique” as AI Mode, Gemini can break down queries and do some searches at once.
When I searched for “How to Care for Mango Trees,” Google's web guide pulled up two related web pages, followed by AI-generated summaries and links listed in various categories, including “Mango Tree Care for a Specific Climate” and “Troubleshooting Mango Tree Issues.” Some of the links came from educational resources like the University of Florida, while others lead to YouTube videos, Quora and Reddit threads. Last year, Google signed a $60 million annual contract with Reddit, using content for AI training.
It's great that web guides bring back some of the elements of traditional search, such as displaying links at the top of the results page, rather than bombing them with an AI overview and YouTube video that takes up almost half of the page. The AI-generated categories were somewhat helpful in tracking certain information, but the explanations under each heading seem unnecessary.
For example, under the Comprehensive Mango Tree Care Guide, refer to multiple guides for comprehensive instructions, as the most effective ways to care for mango trees vary slightly depending on age, location and specific cultivars.
Also using a web guide, “My family is spread across multiple time zones. What is the best tool to maintain connections and maintain close relationships despite the distance?” AI results try to address different parts of the question.
Still, you can go back to normal web results, but Google says it's already planning on bringing it to the “All” tab. You can switch tests in the Search Lab and try our web guides now.
