Google has unveiled a new feature for its search engine, reports Herald Net.

The feature, called Google Squared, is a question and answer service. The user can enter a question into the search bar, and, in addition to being shown traditional web results, Google will also answer the user’s question. Users will also be shown the sources that Google used to come up with the answer. For example, if a user asks Google when Beatles member John Lennon died, the search engine will answer with December 8, 1980.

Whether or not Google Squared can be used by advertisers is still unclear, but that could allow for tremendous search engine optimization (SEO) benefits.

The new feature is a part of Google’s initiative to stay ahead of competitors, like Yahoo and Microsoft. According to product manager Noah Weiss, Google’s updated search algorithm will allow it to answer millions of these types of queries.

"It’s all basically coming out of research to understand the web better," Weiss told Herald Net.

Google also made a few more improvements to its search engine last week, according to the company’s official blog. Google Translate was updated with five new languages, and the virtual keyboard gained support for 20 more languages.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.