Google Search organizes information to find the most relevant, useful results for each person’s search queries. But what if the content just isn’t there? That’s why we created Question Hub.
With Question Hub, users can let us know when they haven’t been able to find the content they are searching for. We collect all these unanswered questions, for example “How many revolutions does Chandrayaan 2 make around the Earth”, and sort them by topic (“Science”). We provide those questions to publishers, so they can use these insights to create richer, better content for their audience. This benefits the publishers who can identify content gaps online, and everyone searching for content on the web.
After several months of testing with journalists and bloggers, we are launching a beta version today so we can continue to grow the product in collaboration with a broader group of publishers. Question Hub is now available in India, Indonesia, and Nigeria, in English, Hindi and Bahasa Indonesia, and we plan to introduce it in other countries and languages in the future. There are many questions lined up waiting for answers, from debunking myths such as “Do mermaid tears really turn into pearls” to everyday useful information like “vegan south indian recipe with no eggplant”. Because Question Hub is just coming out of an experimental phase, we’re still working hard to improve the experience and add additional features. We would love your feedback to help us grow the product further.
To access Question Hub, publishers need to link their account to verified properties in Search Console. For publishers without a Search Console account, other options are available. Once they’ve created an account, they can explore topics relevant to their work by either searching for keywords or browsing categories (e.g. Beauty & Fitness). Once a topic is added, they can view unanswered questions asked by real people.
Publishers can then use their editorial judgment to review unanswered questions, and expand on them when creating content. For instance, an unanswered question (“mehndi designs for my sister’s wedding in two weeks 2019”) may illustrate a larger need for content on a certain topic (trendy mehndi designs). Publishers can leverage these questions to create more impactful content for their audience. Once they create an article or video, publishers are then able to submit it in Question Hub, where they review content performance metrics.
Are you a publisher? Try Question Hub out, or learn more about how to get started in our FAQ. Click Send Feedback within Question Hub with any comments or issues; we’d love to hear from you.
Posted by Shekhar Sharad, Senior Product Manager, Search and Content Ecosystem