Google Social Search – What does it mean for SEO?
Will This Feature Reinvent Search Engine Optimisation?
Recently Google Social Search was put into the public domain after extensive beta testing at the tail-end of last year. After performing a Google search, this new feature finds relevant public content from your web social circle and highlights it at the bottom of the traditional results page. Many observers are asking the question – what does this mean for SEO?
While there may be a few changes in how search engine optimisation is performed, the reality is that the jury is still out. The first flaw with the feature is that users must be logged into a Google mail account for the social results to be presented. This is because it only picks up social network connections that are linked to users’ public Google profiles, such as Twitter, FriendFeed, Linked In, blogs and even images from Picasa and Flickr.
The second area of concern is the lack of Facebook presence in Google Social Searches. This particular social network is considered to be the biggest in the UK, if not the world. But it is essentially closed off to search engine spiders, meaning potentially optimised material will stay private. This is clearly going to have a detrimental effect on the effectiveness of Google Social Search, and needs to be rectified before it can be considered as a major force for the SEO industry.
What are the advantages?
It has to be pointed out however that Google Social Search could open so many doors for the SEO industry. To have so much social content in one place is obviously a powerful tool. The ability to build a large-scale network of friends, friends of friends and business associates will enable greater linking opportunities, and also provides new rankings to ‘exploit’. Viral content, such as Michael Angrave’s SEO Song, will spread like wildfire, and grow at a greater rate than ever before.
The bottom line remains the same – quality content is still king. As outlined in a recent blog post ‘Social Media Marketing for SEO’, by contributing material that is relevant and interesting you will identify yourself as someone to link with.
Once Google Social Search has had its flaw ironed out and moves into the wider public sphere, it is likely to become a tool for SEO firms to take advantage of. So get networking!
