Last week Google announced the roll out of their latest search feature for Google account holders – SearchWiki – with the tag-line “Make Search your Own.”
According to Google, SearchWiki is a way for signed in Google users (meaning you must have a Google account) to customize search by re-ranking, deleting, adding, and commenting on search results. Through SearchWiki, users can:
- Move results to the top
- Add a new site
- Write notes attached to a particular site
- Remove results that don’t belong
- See how the community has collectively edited the search results by clicking on the “See all notes for this SearchWiki” link
Changes made are saved to users’ Google account and only affect that particular user’s searches and users are able to view their search history overtime. If you want to learn more about how it works – visit the Google Blog Post.
Reactions to SearchWiki.
The reviews are mixed… I think some people aren’t sure what to make of it and others view it as just another pointless Google feature adding complexity to the once super simple search giant. Google claims they’ve received feedback that the feature is “really cool.”
Problems with SearchWiki.
Users already identified issues with SearchWiki. Spammers are already spamming the “comments” of search results – as seen here. Comments too can be flagged as inappropriate, so it is up to your loyal social following to fight off comment spam. However, it is one thing to rely on the Democracy of the social space to bubble up the most important conversations and another to ask that they be policing comments within a search engine ranking page.
A Google Spokesperson (the same one who communicated the “very cool” feedback) stated ”We’re always open to input, and we will be iterating and improving SearchWiki based on usage and feedback.” Hopefully eliminating Spam comments is within the next iteration.
In addition, many are lamenting the fact that they are automatically opted into this feature without a clear means of disabling the functionality. FireFox users can use this script to enable the functionality to turn SearchWiki on and off at will.
Furthermore, there are clear privacy concerns with Google creating another means by which they can amass large amounts of personal search data.
Marketing Implications.
Janet Jackson sang about it and now we will be trying to retain it – “Control.” The buzzword of 2009.
Personalized search isn’t new; SearchWiki just makes it more transparent. Prior to SearchWiki, Google tailored search results based on a users’ search behavior. Now the control falls into the hands of the user to further refine those results based on the information they obtain through the search query.
If it wasn’t apparent before, it should be clear as day now – Optimization is more than just Meta Data. To successfully develop an online presence through organic search results, we must step beyond the standard on-site optimization tactics (such as meta data and optimized content pages) and focus our efforts on:
- Utilizing Web analytics tools to provide insight into what search behavior drives traffic to your Web site and what behaviors users exhibit once on the Web site.
- Developing tools and resources that search users want to share and bookmark such as widgets, calculators, quizzes or more traditionally – web pages rich with relevant information on the subject matter.
- Permit the conversation through blogs, ratings and reviews and other on-site social elements.
Ultimately it is no longer “enough” just to show up. The search result has to stand out from the competition.
Prediction.
I’m not well known for my prophetic talents, but I feel pretty good about this one. Google is holding all the behavioral data cards. I forsee Google will require marketers to “pay” for “organic” results in order to target based on the search behavior of our target consumer. All “free” search results at a disadvantage regarding placement within the SERPs. (Another layer to the existing Google revenue model).
Disclaimer: I am neither a certified/licensed psychic nor ordained prophet. All predictions are subject to change based on what really happens.
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Interseting, but usual =)