Hajra Naz
A recent investigation reveals that Google’s Featured Snippets may display conflicting information from the same sources, depending on the phrasing of search queries. This raises questions about Google’s ability to interpret and present content accurately.
Sarah Presch, director at Dragon Metrics, discovered that Google sometimes pulls opposing statements from the same articles based on how users word their queries. For example, searching “link between coffee and hypertension” may generate a snippet indicating caffeine can raise blood pressure, while “no link between coffee and hypertension” shows a contradictory statement from the same source, like the Mayo Clinic, suggesting no long-term impact.
Such inconsistencies were found across topics, from health and politics to current events. In one instance, asking whether a political candidate is “good” versus “bad” produced starkly different results from the same source.
Impact on Search Quality
“This creates a huge bias,” Presch notes, suggesting Google’s algorithm often prioritizes results matching user intent over balanced information. Internal Google documents from 2016 reportedly admitted limitations in the platform’s understanding of content, noting, “We do not understand documents – we fake it.” Although Google considers these documents outdated, SEO experts believe similar issues persist.
“What Google is doing,” Presch explains, “is selectively pulling text to match searcher preferences, sometimes reinforcing what users want to read.” Mark Williams-Cook, founder of AlsoAsked, highlights a potential feedback loop, where Google’s algorithm learns to deliver information that reinforces user beliefs rather than providing neutral perspectives.
Implications for Content Creators and SEO Professionals
This study suggests key considerations for SEO strategies:
- Featured Snippets may not fully capture comprehensive content.
- Search intent heavily influences snippet selection.
- Content may need adjustment to ensure accuracy across different query formats.
Google’s spokesperson defended its system, stating that diverse perspectives are available if users look beyond initial results. Features like “About this result” also aim to provide more context.
Recommendations for Content Creators
To address these limitations, content creators should:
- Create well-rounded content that maintains accuracy across query variations.
- Recognise how search intent affects snippet selection.
- Regularly monitor how their content appears in Featured Snippets for different search terms.
As Google increasingly positions itself as an “answer engine” with AI-generated responses, understanding these nuances will be essential for digital marketers and content creators alike.
