Future of Search Engines
What is Google going to do next? Google’s most impressive enhancement to their search engine in my opinion is Google Suggest (Screen Shot) which only took 4 years to develop and officially launch. Most controversial enhancement, SearchWiki. The most notable critic, Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, has been blogging about it since it’s inception, and created one of the funniest TechCrunch posts I have ever read once Google added a sound recorded by Sergery Brin (have to turn on Google experiment). Just thinking about Arrington recklessly deleting search results just to make the highly addictive desktop tower defense game noise seriously made me laugh out loud at work, maybe I’m just that big of a nerd.
Now what is Google missing when it comes to search? I believe most of my friends would say they swear by Google and are particularly happy with the results it provides. Quite often I am shocked with how fast and accurate Google is able whittle down the exact thing I am searching for. But that’s the problem, Google currently only delivers the things I am searching for. In retrospect, when I go to my FaceBook home page, my news feed force feeds me information that I am not searching for, but is of high interest and therefore value to me. I would have never known to search for this really hot girl I added 7 months ago and find out that she just broke up with her boyfriend,(tear) but because my relationship status preferences are cranked to the max(See image below :), that little buoyant brunette just appeared in my home news feed and I already scheming to message her. (Update - The geniuses at Facebook just removed this as part of the new home page “features” or Twitter killer. Another Blog to ensue titled, Facebook, quit toying around with new layouts and monetize your business model, you are the only social network that has yet to make a $1 in profit!)
John's Facebook Slider
I am totally aware of iGoogle, and the ability to personalize your home page, however this is not feeding your information from your friends. For example, why am I not able to see what my friends are searching for on Google, even further I should be able to filter this feed similar to the feed preference slider on FaceBook, for example making searches by friends on the topic of technology more prevalent. If I was reading this blog the first thing I would say is, “Haven’t you heard of Digg? You can see what your friends find interesting.” But Digg is news, not search, and Digg’s search sucks, no it really sucks. When I ever want to search something on Digg I go to Google and do the infamous site search, ie. “Sarah Palin site:digg.com”. Plus I’ve sworn from going to the site during the weekdays to avoid being succumbed by all the useless crap that plagues the site in effort to be more productive. See future article Digg, a genius social news web application plagued by the masses.
To conclude, I want to go to Google, and without searching or typing anything in the search box, be presented with relevant information I would otherwise search for, or wouldn’t search for, but am subconsciously looking for. In other words, I didn’t even know I was searching for it until I saw it.
This is essential to transform Google from a tool that gets used, into a product that delivers. Let me explain: I know Google kills it, and the bulk of their revenue / profits come from search, but not by my friends or myself. We use Google as a tool, because we grew up with it and ultimately understand it. We know how to use Google to find exactly what we are looking for, than click that link and move on, never clicking an advertisement along the way. My generation doesn’t click advertisements, especially the smart ones, not even in Gmail. One could argue that just having the sponsor’s ad there increases brand awareness, for example; Budweiser has an advertisement so I am being exposed to the brand. I would argue this as well, my eyes are trained to not even look at the advertisements, see future blog post: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!
I’ll write the conclusion in the next blog, Foreshadowing search engines, the transformation from a tool to a product.
John,
Great summary and warm up!! Definitly on to something with the whole should-be-introduced-to things when searching.
Ells
Well put John. I think Google could run with the “feed” idea that Facebook so casually tossed aside.
We’ll see what they come up with. Perhaps we’ll see it in 4 years.
Kaitlyn
I’m so proud of you!
Nice blog John, I’ve considered starting one myself.
Watch this; it’s only slightly relevant, but silly.
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=141929725037&h=0vfxG&u=fZLOI&ref=nf
Johnny boy,
Decent post, especially for your first one. I think you touched on a lot of things here, but there is one very large web property, which is highly relevant, that you left off … maybe food for thought for a future post. A couple hints:
a) 2nd largest search engine behind Google
b) social networking capabilities, including friends, comments & conversations (similar to a facebook wall), updates on what your friends are doing, searching, and watching.
c) Active suggest feature based on what you have previously searched for and engaged with. Also has subscription feautures to buckets of content - very similar to feeds.
d) Youngest generation of searchers (approx age 9 and below) use this as their primary search engine, as they believe it is more relevant than Google search.
e) Has recently launched a monetization technology, which is very similar to that of Google.com search - sponsored search links that charge advertisers on a pay per click model and reward ads that are highly relevant to the query.
f) rhymes with boob
Johnathon this highly intellectual blog clearly proves how much i don’t know the left side of my brain. It was an impressive read, and my lack of ability to add a suggestion or even create an argument further confirms my decision to stick to the arts. I’m an actor, not a scientist john, love me for who i am.
john… thought you might also find this a good read:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/22/why-advertising-is-failing-on-the-internet/