Be Weary of Search Plus Your World
There has been plenty of speculation in the last few days over Google’s algorithm update, Search Plus Your World. Several Tech leaders have voiced their concern over the idea of “personalized search” including the real-time social media competitor, Twitter. Since news broke of Google’s update on Tuesday, Twitter has released several public statements of frustration including the following:
We’re concerned that as a result of Google’s changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone. We think that’s bad for people, publishers, news organizations and Twitter users.”
Twitter may or may not be in the right space to comment on Google’s algorithm changes (since Twitter chose on its own not to renew its contract with Google this past year and thus is not currently indexed in the search engine), however we feel that Twitter does make a good argument that personalized search could in fact keep the public from information they are deserving of by returning results that only their friends have navigated.
Be Careful What you Search For
You’ve heard the saying, “Be careful what you wish for” probably 100 times or more in your life. Well we are hear telling you to now be careful what you search for. Not too long ago did you only have to worry about the cookies and cache on your computer which would have your parents, friends, significant others, or fellow personal computer users realizing everything you were searching for on your own individual computer.
With Google’s most recent update today you have to worry that your friends, coworkers, parents, in-laws, teachers, significant others, siblings and competitors can all see exactly what you are searching for from a completely remote computer of yours. Let us repeat that. Any of your Google+ connections can potentially discover what you have been searching for on your computer. And they can do so using their computer from anywhere in the world they want.
Catch 22 of Personalized Search
You want to grow your personal brand and you want to become or continue to be an influence on the web. So you adopt Google+ and your search the web while logged into your Google account. You leave comments on blogs you read, you leave a trail of sites visited, and you post what you find to be interesting on your Google+ account. You say to yourself, “This is great. My circles of friends is growing exponentially and people are finding me rather easily online.”
But wait a moment. You must first recognize the catch 22 principle that is at hand. Perhaps you have been growing your personal brand and circle of friends by adopting the Google+ network and new personalized search algorithm. Perhaps your friends are reading the same article, “How Tim Tebow is Changing SEO” because they saw within their personalized SERPs that you had previously read the article and commented on it. Just remember this, if your friends have the potential to see the websites that you have been browsing then so can your competitors. In other words if you don’t want your business competitors to potentially discover your clients, connections, information sources, or strange hobbies then you need to be careful of the websites you visit within Google and the people you add to your Google+ circles.
Just a little, SEO for thought.