Google’s “Search, plus Your World”

12 Jan Google’s “Search, plus Your World”

The next phase of search engines has arrived! Google has launched a search update, “Search, plus Your World,” which will allow users to search against both the broader Web and their own social graph. Jack Menzel, product management director of Search, stated “Google+ members will be able to search across information that is private and only shared to you, not just the public web.”

The Google search will still provide the traditional authoritative results, but personal Google+ results will be blended in. Results from Google+ will only appear if they have been shared with you, or were posted as public. Google’s “Search, plus Your World” only works if you are signed into Google+ and are searching on Google’s secure search, https://www.google.com.

When Google introduces change, it is important for business owners to take note. The quest is to bring the end user the most relevant search results. Therefore, companies with active profiles will have an advantage over those that do not. For example, say your business is a local pizza parlor and John Q. has written posts about it on his page. Jane Q., who is in John Q’s Google+ circles, types in a search for pizza parlor. The usual map, reviews, and information will be displayed, but so will John Q.’s post. This benefits your restaurant in two ways. First, it takes up additional space on the results page. Second, studies show that people put more trust in recommendations from people they know. Jane Q. will be more likely to go to your restaurant because her friend, John Q., posted that he loved your pizza.