Google wants to make it easier for celebrities to reach their audience. To that end, the company released a new app called Cameos, which is available for iOS and really targeted specifically at celebrities.
Through Cameos, celebrities can essentially record videos answering some of the more popular questions asked on the internet. Then, those videos will show up straight in Google’s search results — allowing users to get information about celebrities straight from the celebrities themselves.
Anyone can technically download the Cameos app, but once downloaded, most people won’t be able to use it. Cameos requires that access is granted by Google before it can be used. Celebrities who do gain access to the app can then browse the web for popular questions about them, then answer any questions they choose to answer through a video. After a celebrity starts using the app, Google says it will push them to answer new questions and searches as a way to make sure that content remains timely. Once a question is answered, Google says the response to the question will be posted quickly to Google search results, so that users can find the videos when they search for a celebrity.
Of course, just because this app is available, that doesn’t mean we should expect to see videos from celebrities showing up in Google search results anytime soon. First, celebrities have to start actually using the app, and there is no guarantee that will actually happen.
Cameos is actually an extension of the “Posts on Google” feature that has been rolling out over the past few years. The feature allows some people and organizations to post directly to Google search results. Initially, it was aimed strictly at only a handful of celebrities, movie studios, and sports teams, but over the past year or so, Google has been rolling out the feature to local businesses as well. Earlier this year, Google also expanded the feature to musicians.
Interestingly enough, the new app is currently only available on iOS — which probably says more about the people Google is trying to reach than Google itself. We’ll have to wait and see if an Android version of the app ever gets released.
