Google has been spotted highlighting answers from Stack Overflow in search results, which may either be a new feature or simply a test in progress.
Multiple people have reported seeing this possible new feature, but it was first brought to my attention by a thread on Reddit. Here is a screenshot of what it looks like:
Stack Overflow is a Q&A community for developers, and there are two ways that answers from the site are being highlighted in search results.
According to the screenshot, if a question only has one answer then it will receive its own dedicated answer box spanning the width of the search results page.
If a question has more than one answer, then they will be displayed in the form of a carousel with the most upvoted response highlighted as the “Best Answer.”
On one hand, this could have a negative impact on traffic to Stack Overflow if searchers get the information they need in the answer boxes.
On the other hand, it could encourage more click-throughs to Stack Overflow if searchers like what they see and want to read more.
I have not been able to replicate this feature using any of my daily drivers (MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone X), which leads me to believe it is a limited test that not everyone has access to. Either that, or it may only be available in US search results.
