Everyone loves a kitten. There are calendars, coffee mug pics, greeting cards, and other devices spreading their love for kittens. There are millions of sites dedicated to just kittens. Want to know if your macho friend secretly loves kittens? Well, that’s now a possibility thanks to Google’s Social Search. After viewing the demo, I’ve drawn somewhat of a rough conclusion that Google’s new tool is a compacting of your social sites into one page for friends to see. From this, a person can view the same topics, products, or any other informational tidbits their friends searched for. From their friends to their friends and beyond, specific searches can generate leads to quality sites and maybe make people feel a little bit more trusting to what they are searching for.
This slight tweaking of the social network could make for some interesting avenues for businesses. If a local business needed more exposure, Social Search can allow more people to be directed to its website through a friend’s Twitter feed, LinkedIn account, blogs, and so forth.
Let’s pretend a local burger stand that’s been around for many years decides to take the plunge. Their website could be given a boost if a local fan base emerges from searching the local burger stand. Once discovered, their friends stumble upon it by seeing that search or by seeing their social networks rave about their experience there. A blog about their experience can lead people to click on the burger stand’s website, find the location, sit down, and enjoy what all the fuss is about. Along with the blog, a business’ product could be seen through photos, videos and much more. By viewing their friend’s photos within their search, a person may feel more at ease with either visiting the website or going directly to the establishment based off trusting their friend’s instinct. Friends of those friends can follow the same advice and test it out for themselves.
Are there drawbacks? Only if one chooses to glance over the comments about the demo will he or she see people referring to this as some sort of Orwellian device. It’s not so much 1984 as it is just another way to improve a website’s presence to others. People can control how much of their search result may be seen by their friends. They can omit the people who they feel don’t use the Internet outside of checking their bank statements, but in doing so, that person may alienate another extension of possible clients.
Besides, this whole process is just in its infancy. I remember being in college and doubting the frenzy that was Facebook. Heck, I even had a friend make my account because I was too stubborn to do it myself. Now that I’m on, I can’t stop looking for the next fake quiz or survey to come about. As much as it’s mindless entertainment for me, it’s a marketing firecracker for others. Maybe this Google tool is leaning that way as well.
Just remember, have a little bit of faith in a friend’s search and a following from it could set a trail to your business.
