Google Buzz Goes Into Social Search
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Google Buzz has gone social … social search that is. In October 2009, Google beta-tested and rolled out a full launch in January 2010, social search.
Social search took search queries a bit further by crawling the web to find and feature public content from your friends and connections via your Google Profile, Reader, Chat and Contacts and of course your followers from links to your Twitter and FriendFeed.
These connection search results are displayed at the bottom of your search results. There were limitations to this as users had to link their profiles and also connect via their Google Profile.
Google Buzz Goes Social
Google search has been expanded to Google Buzz. Starting today, Google will now be looking at items you share on Buzz regardless if it is connected to your Google Profile.
Naturally, the information being featured will be public information. There is the ability to stop sharing your information by simply unlinking the profile from your Google Buzz.
In a discussion with MG Siegler posted on TechCrunch,
“It’s a win for users because it creates more value in Social Search,” Google’s Matt Cutts
tells us. I asked Cutts where most of the Social Search data comes in from, and while he didn’t have any hard data, he said that Twitter was obviously one of the biggies (though there is still the Twitter/Buzz disconnect). FriendFeed also remains a valuable source of data, he says.
This move seems to be a positive one as not as many users were linking and connecting via their Google Profile as they were with Buzz. While there have been some privacy issues with Buzz, we can rest assured that the information is only public information that can be found deep within the search results.
Is this a useful addition or are you not Buzzing on Google Buzz?
Dev | Technshare said:
Hey Suzanne,
Really great Post.
I’ve gmail account, but i never used google buzz. I really don’t like it.
Instead i would like to spend my time on facebook or twitter.
Thanks for sharing this great POst.
~Dev
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Suzanne Vara said:
Dev
I go back and forth on Buzz. Between FB, Twitter, Skype and Buzz how many places do we want to connect? I use it and with each use warm up to it more and more.
My Latest Blog Post: Letting Go
Nabeel | Create Your First Website said:
It would be interesting to know how many people actually use the ‘social’ search instead of the normal search.
Nabeel
Suzanne Vara said:
Nabeel
I actually do use it as it displays at the bottom of the search results. I like to see others have written about a topic and it is very useful for that. If it was not that purpose, I am not sure how much I would use it.
I would like to see some stats on it too as are people scrolling downt that far to get the information.
My Latest Blog Post: Letting Go
Annabel Candy, Get In the Hot Spot said:
Hi Suzanne, I’d have to say not. I tried it out when it came out but I’m a technophobe really. Twitter, a blog and Facebook are enough for me:) I’ll leave all the rest to other people!
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Suzanne Vara said:
Annabel
Like I said above it is a lot of connecting on so many sites. I have a hard time keeping up which site I contact people on. I suppose it all will not matter too much longer as with the rumors of Google Me, I see this all being merged there.
My Latest Blog Post: Letting Go
Jorgen @ Personal Branding said:
Hi Suzanne, does that mean Google wasn’t monitoring Buzz before? Or did I misunderstand you?
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Suzanne Vara said:
Jorgen
As I understand it no, they were not pulling results from Buzz to display in your searches.
My Latest Blog Post: Letting Go
Reza Winandar said:
Hi Suzanne! It seems that you’re getting famous in blogosphere!
It’s great to see that Buzz is Lightyear-ing right now (just kidding! Toy Story 3 was so fun
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Suzanne Vara said:
Famous? I am making some ground that is for sure.
Toy Story 3 was fun. Son and I enjoyed it too.
There is more to come with Google and buzz. It will all be tied into GoogleMe.
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Yomar said:
I love the concept behind Google Buzz. I think it’ll be more useful if it’ll be integrated with other social promotion tools (+1, of course) and Google makes it easier to syndicate and share. To me, these condensed content types really shine when you can cross-promote and build them into conversations – that’s where the real buzz starts!
Social search is a wonderful idea. Context and community are key drivers there. This may also limit the noise created by paying advertisers and those that “game the system”…
Thanks for sharing this via Twitter.