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Google Social Search: new in Labs

October 27, 2009

One of the latest tools to enter Google's beta area, Labs, is Google Social Search.

Now, when you do a Google search, the same Show Options button that gives us the lovely TimeLine and Wonder wheel and Related search features, allows us to see what our own network has to say about that search topic. (You will also find Results from people in your social circle on the bottom of your vertical search, but I prefer that Show Options button.)

Google explains:

More easily find relevant blogs, reviews and other public content from your social circle.

Sign in to Google and do a search. If there's relevant web content written by people in your social circle, it will automatically show up at the bottom of your search results under a section called "Results from people in your social circle."

To see even more social content you can click the "Show options" link at the top of the results page and then click on the "Social" link.

What is your social circle? It's a combination of your Gmail chat buddies, your Gmail contacts friends, family and co-worker groups, and people you're publicly connected to on other social sites (such as Twitter and FriendFeed). Learn more about social search.

Take a look at my search on the new movie, New Moon:

Note: For me, this absolutely personalized my search in a valuable way, but it will not replace the growing number of real-time and network search tools, that scan multiple social networks.  Social Search is mighty handy for checking your own network from convenient a starting point. Though my searches pick up my blog, Flickr, and Twitter friends, they do not yet seem to pick up Facebook. 

Note also: Some early testers found that this search works best when you and your friends establish Google Profiles.

Check out the video overview of Social Search. And check Danny Sullivan's SearchEngineLand and MG Siegler's TechCrunch post for more detailed reviews.

Posted by Joyce Valenza Ph.D on October 27, 2009 | Comments (1)