Google is always finding ways to improve user experience and the refine by filter is currently one of their latest efforts to make sure that the users won’t spend too much time searching for what they want.
Well, actually, the refine by filter already appeared on mobile phones in September last year. But, it seems like they are testing it on desktop SERPs.
You have to remember that it is completely different from related searches. This “refine by” filter allows you to refine the results and give you exactly what you are looking for.
For example, you want to look for dog foods, but you have no idea what to look for. You can just search for dog food and the refine by filter will include wet and dry dog foods.
If you will be more specific, the refine by filter will allow you to filter the results based on the brand of dog food.
As of the moment, this filter is still under testing and is not yet available worldwide. It seems like Google is still checking if this type of filter will have a significant effect on search results.
The refine by filter is definitely a great feature and it gives more options to the users. But, search engines are built to provide everything that you are looking for even without using a filter.
The related searches are already a big help and adding a refine by filter might seem redundant in the sense that there are other features that can do the same thing. Well, the users can even type in whatever brand they want for a certain product.
It’s not a bad thing, but it will not have any significant effect on your marketing strategies at the moment. We will see once it is fully integrated on Google.
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