Google adding “in-depth” story section: Could an SEO shakeup be far behind?

Google has announced plans to add a new section to its search results which list articles and blog posts providing in-depth coverage of the search terms.

According to an official blog post, the company claims that while most searches are for people looking for quick information about a topic, around 10% of searches are for people looking for more in-depth information.

To cater for this market, Google will begin adding an “in-depth articles” section to its search results listing long-form stories from blog posts and feature articles on the topic.

“If you care about censorship, you’ll find a thought-provoking article by Salman Rushdie in The New Yorker, a piece by our very own Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen in The Guardian, and another great article about Iran,” Google technician Pandu Nayak says in a  statement.

Google has created an article in its help centre detailing key features websites will need to implement to be included in the new feature, including schema.org article mark-up, proper pagination and “first-click free” service  on subscription content.

“While the feature is based on algorithmic signals, there are steps you can take as a webmaster to help Google find your high-quality, in-depth content and best present it to users in the search,” Nayak says.