Google Social Search was announced by Google last October. It aims to increase search results’ relevancy for users. What is Social Search? How can you use it? The program is currently in its experimental phase. However, you can engage with the product and use it if you have a Google Account.
It may actually be beneficial for both advertisers and business owners to opt-in at this stage. Although Social Search isn’t widely used, or even well-known to laypeople at this time, it can be a great tool for getting your business listed on your social network in a more relevant way.
Okay, you have completed the experiment and created your Google account. What now? You will need to add your chat buddies, contacts, networks, and media sharing sites (including Facebook, Twitter Friendfeed, Flickr, etc.). Google can access your public profile to retrieve contacts via various channels. You are encouraged to add links to your public profile, in addition to these networks and contacts. Any information related to your business, interests, or websites (blogs, etc.). This will give Google more information to use when creating personalized search results. You can choose the privacy and security settings that you prefer. The more you are open to Google Social Search, the better it will work for your search results. Google will also find your friends of friends to help you add to your larger social networks.
What are the search results? How can we find them? After you have opted into Social Search and set up your Google contacts and profile, your Google search results will often include two results from people in your social circle. These results will appear under the heading “Results From People in Your Social Circle for _____.” Google claims that while other natural rankings may be more relevant for everyone, the results from your social circle will be most relevant to you. These results can include tweets and blog posts, restaurant reviews, photos, videos, and other information that friends posted about your search query. If you like what you see you can click the header to go to a complete page of results only from your contacts or sites accessed through your profile. To find out if someone you know has posted something related to your search, you can also do a search within your social network. This will be invaluable for mobile users who need to make quick decisions about restaurants, hotels, or other purchases.
Your search results will become more useful as you grow your network and increase your social circle. You will also notice Google Social Search appearing more frequently in your search results. It is important to remember that the more people you follow, the more traceable and identifiable your actions across the internet. This may require users to examine their privacy settings and make decisions based on their comfort levels. It is crucial for the advertiser to build trust with their social circle by engaging with them and presenting your business and yourself in a positive light.
Google Social Circle is a new way to search, connect and use your online networking skills. Start now, especially if your contacts are already established online. You will soon notice that your time and effort pay off in search results.
