Google Search Plus Your World
Google has just made huge changes in how they are presenting their search results. And this has major implications for your online presence.
The big change is that Google has begun to personalize search results. That’s a pretty big deal, right? They actually made that change in 2009 and most people didn’t even notice.
The big change I am talking about is what is referred to as Google Search results plus your world. These results are largely based upon what your contacts are sharing within Google+. Don’t have a Google+ account? Doesn’t matter. Even if you are not signed into a Google Account, Google will begin showing you results based upon past searches that you have conducted through the use of browser cookies.
Google noticed a very important shift that is occurring. Google was absolutely right when ranking websites in the past based upon how many other websites were linked to that website. The problem is, how often do you link to someone’s website? Another question, how often do you share someone’s website, an article, or a funny video?
Links are no longer an effective measurement of web page popularity. Sites that have been shared offer a better measurement of a website’s popularity and clout. It’s the 2012 version of linking.
But there’s a problem. When people share information, it is largely within the confines of Facebook & Twitter. Google can’t always see this information.
Thus, the birth of Google+.
And the pendulum has swung. Perhaps too much. I want to present a few examples here of how Google searches (conducted while signed into a Google account and while not signed in) have been skewed towards Google+ results.
The first is this one. I am signed into my Google Account when I search for Egypt photos. The very first results I see (and anyone who is connected to me on Google+ will see) are photos from my 2008 Egypt trip:
The second example is a search for ‘music’ when I am signed into my Google Account. Instead of seeing a Wikipedia entry about music, I see what my Google+ contacts have shared about the topic of music. It appears that the only requirement here is that the item shared contained the word music.
If you are signed into your Google Account, you do have the ability to turn personalized results on and off through.
But here is the kicker. Look at what happens when I begin typing in a search for Britney Spears. You can see that I have not even come close to finishing my search but Google has suggested 4 options for terms I may be searching. They got the first one right. But look at #4. That is Britney’s Google+ page. Fortunately, Britney is up to date on her Google+ page and has quite a bit of content there. Now, do that same search for Mark Zuckerberg. His Google+ page also shows up as you are typing. Mark Zuckerberg understandably does not keep up his Google+ page. Wouldn’t a better search result be his Facebook page in this instance?
Do you see what is happening here? Google is going to show Google+ results for you whether you’ve updated them or not. I’ve told my clients for a long time that you have a web presence whether you created it or not. Google is collecting information about you and your company all over the web and compiling it into profiles. You can either let them dictate what is said about you or you can control that. It’s better if you are in charge.
You have a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a LinkedIn profile. That’s great. But, as you can see from these Google search results (remember Google has roughly 70-80% of the search market), these are being pushed down as Google+ takes more precedent. Is it right? Doesn’t seem to be. But as the FTC debates that question, you must create your Google+ account so that you are not left in the dust.
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