Get ready to ditch the endless scroll!
Google is rolling back its infinite scrolling feature for search results, according to a recent report by Search Engine Land. I was not a big fan of this feature because it takes a longer time to load since the Google algorithm has to search from hundreds of sources, as well as scrape all the infinite amount of data since AI has really hit the web in the past 6 months.
Originally introduced for mobile search in October 2021 and later brought to desktops in late 2022, continuous scrolling mimicked the behavior of social media feeds, automatically loading more results as you scrolled down.
Google is replacing continuous scrolling with a more traditional approach. Desktops will return to the classic pagination bar, allowing users to easily jump to specific pages or simply click “Next” to see the next batch of results. Mobile users will see a “More results” button at the bottom of their search pages to load additional results.
Google cites performance as a key reason for the shift. By eliminating infinite scroll loading, Google aims to serve search results faster and more efficiently, focusing on delivering the information users request instead of pre-loading pages they might not even visit.
While continuous scrolling is on its way out for search results, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gone for good. Google may continue to explore its use in other applications within its platform.
This change signifies Google’s focus on user experience and search efficiency. By prioritizing user control and faster results, Google aims to streamline the search experience for everyone.
