Notice something different during your last search? Google updated its logo this week, adding a newer, sleeker look to its familiar homepage and other product pages. The new logo has been implemented across all of Google’s services, including a new logo specifically for Google Plus. The vibrant new logo is the seventh that the company has had since being founded in 1998. The longest stretch that Google has gone without an update to its logo was 1999-2010; since then, updates have been very miniscule. The update comes just a few weeks after Google announced a corporate restructuring that will house all of its brands under newly-formed “Alphabet.” It is likely that Google is taking this opportunity to create a new brand identity, while also enjoying the same recognition as other highly influential international organizations.
Additional updates include a refresh to the mobile search results interface. As Search Engine Land explains, mobile search has become even more visually-based, relying on a search carousel and “cards”, which allow searchers to scroll horizontally through results in addition to vertically. Cards may also include content relevant to the user, such as the local weather forecast, sports scores and upcoming calendar events. Organization and a seamless UX have long been part of Google’s focus on mobile, and continues to be the case.