We as humans use online search engines such as Google over 300 million times a day to gather information and to help answer some of life’s most mysterious questions. From questions about serious diseases and illnesses, to restaurant discussions, and even mental controversies you’ve always wanted resolved, thanks to Google, our answers are, many times, just a few clicks away.
Most of the facts and opinions we encounter when Google searching come from websites, blog posts, forum threads, or tweets written by people—people we don’t know, have never known, and will never come to know. The desirability behind anonymous opinions is apparent in that it encourages debate and discussion among users with varying backgrounds (thus, diversity), but it makes more sense to me why people would seek opinions from people they already know and respect. Especially when you consider significant life events, such as planning a wedding or parenting a child, it helps to be aware of the beliefs, morals, and personal preferences behind peoples’ posts before acting on or accepting the information as relevant to your life.
Google has good news for us socially-adept information hounds: it is adding new search functions by integrating relevant links from people you already know and connect with online. In other words, Google is incorporating content found on social media sites to help improve your search.
Watch the video for further explanation about Google’s Social Search
Now, if you search for, say, “John’s Pizzeria Reviews + New York City, NY,” (Yum, don’t get me started!) Google will not only pull up anonymous reviews and opinions about the restaurant; it will also pull in any of your friends’ Facebook or blog posts, tweets, Flickr photos, etc. related to John’s.
“There is a very fundamental shift going on from the information web to the social web,” said Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.
There is one catch though; as of now, in order for your friends’ online activity to be included in the social search, they must have their Google Profile completed. Filling out the Profile is simple—contact information and links to social media profiles—it’s just a matter of getting people to do it.
Do you prefer to get your information and advice from friends or anonymous sources? How do you think this social search capability will make your life easier?
[Photo is a screenshot from Google's "Social Search" video on YouTube]
