Google’s awkwardly-named new results page has been stirring quite a lot of attention this past week. Rather than go in-depth explaining the change, we’ll first let one of Google’s pretty product videos do the talking:
For those that still aren’t seeing the new results page consistently (a lot of people still, according to SEOmoz’s Rand Fishkin), Google’s Matt Cutts posted this blog, talking about how he’d used the new feature.
Power of Social Media
It’s not surprising that social media is increasingly integrated into search results. However, for many, including us, the new results seem different. They make Google function more like a social network’s internal search box. This feels unlike the neutral, organic search engine crawling that people have come to appreciate from Google.
For many, Larry Page’s recent appointment as company CEO has been unsettling. In fact, it has left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. This is evident in popular blogger headlines from the past week. Some titles include “Google Just Killed Its Search Engine.” Another headline reads “Google Just Made Bing the Best Search Engine.”
All of this said, Search, Plus Your World is still a very new feature, and it’s difficult to predict where it will go for certain. Some retooling to include the other social networks without prejudice, and creating a new name while the marketing department doesn’t have the day off, could certainly be a game changer.
Despite these initial reactions and concerns, it’s crucial to remember that “Search, Plus Your World” remains a nascent feature.
The marketing department could undertake a rebranding effort. This might create a less self-referential and more appealing name. Such a change could significantly impact public reception. It could also affect long-term adoption.
The future of search in this evolving social context is still an open and intriguing question.
