After testing if for a while on an opt-in basis, Google has now made search personalization the default. Here is the official announcement.
Personalize Search is described here. The video explains it well.
Search Engine Land has a fine description of how it works.
He also writes, “The short story is this. By watching what you click on in search results, Google can learn that you favor particular sites. For example, if you often search and click on links from Amazon that appear in Google’s results, over time, Google learns that you really like Amazon. In reaction, it gives Amazon a ranking boost. That means you start seeing more Amazon listings, perhaps for searches where Amazon wasn’t showing up before.
The results are custom tailored for each individual. For example, let’s say someone else prefers Barnes & Nobles. Over time, Google learns that person likes Barnes & Noble. They begin to see even more Barnes & Nobles listings, rather than Amazon ones.
Of course, people will be clicking on a variety of sites, in search results. So it’s not a case of having one favorite that that simply shows up for everything. Indeed, Google’s other ranking factors are also still considered. So that person who likes Amazon? If they’re looking for a plumber, Amazon probably isn’t close to being relevant, so the personalization boost doesn’t help. But in cases where Amazon might have been on the edge? Personalization may help tip into the first page of results. And personalization may tip a wide variety of sites into the top results, for a wide variety of queries.”
The GoogleGazer has been using personalized search for several months, and finds it to be a time-saver. Some, who are more paranoid, may be afraid to use it because of privacy converns. They can simply turn off the feature. To see how, go here.
Filed under: Google Search Personalization Tagged: | Google Search Personalization
