I’m no fan of Google but I suppose a few people that peruse the droppings of this blog are. Google just PO’d the technical sensibilities of the writers over at Gizmodo. It’s difficult to imagine any serious technical pop writer dissing their darlings: Google (or Apple), yet here we are. Apparently Google splooged their algorithms again to get the most out of their Plus social excrement.
From Gizmodo’s article “Google Just Made Bing the Best Search Engine“:
Google changed the way search works this week. It deeply integrated Google+ into search results. It’s ostensibly meant to deliver more personalized results. But it pulls those personalized results largely from Google services—Google+, Picasa, YouTube. Search for a restaurant, and instead of its Yelp page, the top result might be someone you know discussing it on Google Plus. Over at SearchEngineland, Danny Sullivan has compiled a series of damning examples of the ways Google’s new interface promotes Plus over relevancy. Long story short: It’s a huge step backwards.
The thing is most people think Google is some kind of benevolent utility created to provide free search results for the surfing herd. In fact their purpose as a public company is to provide shareholder value. In short: to make fat stacks of cash. Maybe the search results will suck but some boardroom pinhead has decided that getting more out of Plus is a way to create more wealth. Whatever. I don’t really care if their results are lacking or not. But it’s fun to watch those that do care twist and shout.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Yeah, I don’t think Google + is that big of a deal and if this latest attempt to garner more users doesn’t work out as planned for them I wonder if they’ll just “retire” it like they did Google Buzz. See: https://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1698228
They had “only” 25 million users as of August, (best guess estimate since they aren’t talking) See: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-plus-reaches-25-million-users-activity-declines/31500/
I agree that it is interesting to watch, and I use Google quite a bit, but I never stay “signed in” unless I am using one of their products. The whole following me around thing really creeps me out.
Hey Splork,
This is actually the growing pains of something else to come. I imagine that they will eventually find the sweet spot between the two. As for seeing results while logged in versus logged out, remember just 2 years ago when personalized search was optional (it isn’t so much anymore and the only way to check rankings is through proxies.)
All the tech heads and geeks as well as SEO’s and marketers are complaining here….but the question remains the same-
What does the general public think?
Considering the fact that google owns the android software that powers roughly 32,000,000 phones (which also requires a gmail account to get apps) and uses several other services to “spy” on search query activity, you have to think that they will get their answer soon enough.
@Jack – Yea I’m not fan of being spied on either which is why I use Startpage for search and try to stay logged out of their system as much as possible. Trouble is I have a ‘droid phone and to download apps you have to log into the G account crap.
@Leo – good analysis as usual. I think ( and I certainly have little pulse on the issue anymore) that much of it is a social response to Twitter. I spend way more time on Twitter than I ever have (or will) on Google, Facebook, Myspace, etc. If I need to search for something happening right now my first inclination is to do a Twitter query and see if its being talked about or linked to.
Thanks for dropping by.
I have to disagree with you on this one. I haven’t been to Bing in a very long time. I just went and to my suprise, they too are including personalized search results. On the search I tried, Bing had included websites that my FB friends had liked at some point.
@Mark – Thanks for reading. You aren’t disagreeing with me. I haven’t used Bing in quite a long time nor do I have an opinion on it.
Doh!
Public education, scanning the article to fast, or something got me. Gizmodo was saying Bing was just made the best search engine, not you. My apologies.