Google launches social search ‘Search plus Your World’

Here at Rocktime we’ve spent quite a bit of time talking about Google+, reviewing the benefits of Google+ for businesses , the best practice use of Google+ and the current market and consumer trends that make the introduction of Google+ so attractive in terms of engaging on this social channel.

Kicking off 2012 with a bang, this month Google rolled out a brand new mode for its search results called ‘Search plus Your World’ (SPYW for short).

So what does this actually entail? As explained on the Google Inside Search page, if you’re logged into your Google+ account, you’ll now receive personal search results including photos from friends (and yourself!), content from circles, G+ profiles and related people and pages.

What does this mean for businesses and brands?

Google says that generic search results are less meaningful than content that is personally relevant. With SPYW this translates into friends and followers on Google+; which now has an astounding 62 million registered users. Google+ is on track to reach 400 million users by the end of 2012. If ever there was a time to psych yourself up and put together that Google+ page that’s been languishing for months, now is the moment! We’ve talked before about how interesting circles and ripples could prove to be with G+, and now it looks like it can pay off in terms of spreading your name and in search engine results as well. These changes are a step closer to full ‘social content integration into search results’. Google is giving priority to G+ content over Facebook, Twitter and blogs etc.

Unsurprisingly, not everyone is thrilled by this announcement, and you can imagine why. Twitter especially has been quite vocal about their opinion. And you can understand why companies like Facebook and Twitter would be worried; though whether this new approach to search has the power to truly shake things up remains to be seen.

Social is not about a specific social network, product, or channel anymore; it is about people, their conversations, and the insights these reveal. We’ve moved from channelled experiences and brand-controlled messages to empowered consumers in a channel-neutral marketplace. Just as we may take notice of a trend on twitter, do a search on Google, then watch a video on YouTube, check out the reviews on our mobile in our lunch break, tell our friends on Facebook, and then contact the company via their website; this can also all go on within Google+.

If you want to get develop a strategy for the Google+ channel and Search plus Your World, why not get in contact with the Rocktime Sales team
We have been helping clients to engage on the social networks for four years. Our maxim in 2009 was ‘Listen Learn Engage’, then in 2011 it evolved to ‘Inform Inspire Interact’, now in 2012, with the innovations in Google+ our maxim has evolved yet again to ‘Reach Impact Influence’. You are welcome to discuss with Flashlight, our Search Marketing Team at Rocktime, what advantages we could help bring to your business through social search (social media and search engine marketing)..



Author: Fiona Anderson & Alice Cheetham