Google Introduces New Recipe Feature That Keeps You on Search

Google is testing a new feature that allows you to view entire recipes on third-party websites, without clicking through and leaving Google Search.

Rather than merely showing you a short snippet of the information you want, with the new recipe-viewing feature, first spotted by Search Engine Roundtable, you’ll be able to view the entire recipe just by hovering your mouse over the link.

Quick Search is currently undergoing a limited early experiment according to an official statement sent to The Verge, and the search giant has reached an agreement with the participating recipe bloggers.

“We’re always experimenting with different ways to connect our users with high-quality and helpful information,” said Google spokesperson Brianna Duff. “We have partnered with a limited number of creators to begin to explore new recipe experiences on Search that are both helpful for users and drive value to the web ecosystem. We don’t have anything to announce right now.”

The move comes as Google has recently introduced AI Overviews, another feature that allows users to avoid heading to third-party websites altogether, potentially reducing their traffic.

The feature was rolled out across the U.S. in May 2024 at I/O 2024 but has already attracted criticism for sometimes providing inaccurate and at times nonsensical responses.

One X user even spotted the tool advising a user to add non-toxic glues to their pizza, quoting an old Reddit comment.

Some third-party commentators have touched on the potential impact of tools like AI Overviews, which will allow users to cut out third-party websites altogether, on the search engine optimization (SEO) industry.

In a BBC News piece, one writer argued that changes such as the introduction of AI Overviews could mean “a dramatic upheaval to the Internet’s most powerful tool.”

In the world of SEO, industry experts use a variety of tricks in an attempt to get their client’s websites to rank higher on search engines like Google. The industry was estimated to be worth $80 billion in 2020 by Forbes, and Google is overwhelmingly most popular search engine in most of the world.

The Verge points out that SEO is a very influential force in the world of online recipes, where a huge number of different bloggers and websites produce content on similar topics.

However, there is no guarantee that Quick Search will necessarily stick around long term, even if Google does decide to opt for a full roll-out.

The industry specalists at Search Engine Roundtable pointed out that Google did implement a Quick Search feature in 2012 for mobile search engines, but it was removed less than a year later.

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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