It’s going to be a little harder to see more results the next time you Google something. According to SearchEngineLand, Google Search is killing infinite scroll in search. Infinite scroll has already disappeared from desktop searches, and mobile search will lose the feature in the coming months.
Infinite scroll, sometimes referred to as continuous scroll or endless scroll, debuted in 2021 to show you more results automatically once you got past the first page of search results. The old (and returning) design separates results into pages, meaning you will need to tap on a specific page to see more. If you’re using mobile, Google will show a button for More Results, instead of numbered pages.
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Why the change? A Google representative told SearchEngineLand that removing infinite scroll allows search results to show up more quickly (I can’t help but wonder how much AI overviews are slowing down results). Instead of loading results you haven’t requested yet, your browser will now only show results when they’re requested. The representative also noted that infinite scroll didn’t necessarily equate to higher user satisfaction.
This could affect sites that appear beyond the first page of search results. A 2021 report from SearchEngineLand showed how those pages, especially those right on the cusp of the next page, benefitted from the addition of infinite scroll. With infinite scroll, it’s much easier for users to venture to the second page of results.
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Still, many users seem to be a fan of paginated search results. If you’re trying to find a result for a second time, it would indeed be easier to remember what page it was on and go there immediately instead of having to scroll to find it. Given all the ads in search results nowadays, that’s often where the good results are if you’re searching a niche topic.
If you prefer infinite scroll, several other search engines, including DuckDuckGo, still have the feature.
