Google is experimenting with a new search verification feature that should make it easier for users to avoid clicking on fake or fraudulent website links. Some people see a blue verified checkmark next to business links in Google search results, indicating that the company (such as Meta or Apple) is genuine and not a copycat trying to benefit from a well-known brand.
“We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy merchants online, and we’re currently running a small experiment to display a checkmark next to certain merchants on Google,” said Molly Shaheen, a Google public affairs spokesperson. edge.
My colleague Jay Peters found checkmarks next to links to official websites for Microsoft, Meta, Epic Games, Apple, Amazon and HP, but once he logged into a different Google account, the checkmarks no longer showed up – meaning the experiment Not yet launched yet widely used.
Hovering over the checkmark will display a message explaining that “Google’s signals indicate that the business is indeed who it says it is,” Shaheen said, citing factors such as website verification, Merchant Center data and human review decided.
The new search experiment appears to be an extension of Google’s Brand Message Identification Indicator (BIMI) feature, which displays a checkmark next to senders using verification platforms in Gmail’s web and mobile apps. Google has not officially announced the search checkmark, nor has it said when (or if) more users will see the feature.
