Google is experimenting with a new way to display information in Search results. According to Search Engine Land, the company is testing AI-generated descriptions powered by its Gemini model that could either rewrite or summarize the snippets users typically see under website links.

The report says that in this experiment, there are two possible variations. Google’s AI may fully replace a page’s usual meta description with an AI-generated version. In other cases, it may show a summary of the page based on what the model understands from the content. That means the AI may provide a summary of the page’s snippet.

The test appears to be part of Google’s ongoing work to integrate generative AI into Search. Google has spent much of 2024 integrating Gemini, its multimodal AI model, into core products like Search. The company has also rolled out AI Overviews and AI Mode, which rely on Gemini to create summarized answers and previews.

How the feature works

Traditionally, the short description that appears below a search result comes from the site’s metadata or text that Google pulls from the page. In this test, Gemini would create its own version of that snippet, summarizing the content in real time.

For example, if someone searches for “best running shoes for flat feet,” Google could generate a short paragraph summarizing what a page says about top shoe options, without relying on the site’s meta description. This means users might see search results written by Google’s AI instead of the publisher’s original summary.

Meta descriptions have long been a space where brands drive clicks. If Google replaces or rewrites those snippets using AI, it could affect click-through rates, brand tone, and message control in ways that marketers will need to monitor closely.

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