Google said Thursday it is moving personalized search out of the labs and into beta mode, offering Net surfers more tailored results to their online queries as the search giant looks for new ways to attract and retain users.
Google said anyone with a Google account would now be able to use the beta version of the product. Previously, it was open only to those who visited the Google labs page, where the company showcases projects that are moving closer to launching.
As the name suggests, personalized search refers to a search engine’s ability to pull up results based on the queries the user has entered in the past. When people type in ambiguous keywords, which could refer to several different things like “jaguar” or “delta,” an existing search history could allow the engine to pull up more relevant results.
“It’s potentially a big deal in the sense that it potentially delivers better, more relevant-to-me results,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst with the Kelsey Group. “It’s a more satisfying user experience, which in turn rewards Google.”
Google shares were up $10.02 to $389.17 in recent trading on the Nasdaq.
The feature not only can help Google retain consumers but it also gives it bonus points with advertisers. By delivering ads based on a person’s search history, Google will be in a position to serve up more relevant ads.
The Mountain View, California-based search giant said it had added new features to personalized search before rolling it out. These include bookmarks and labels, as well as tools to remove selected results from future searches. Google had launched a personalized home page in May (see Google Gets Personal).
Google Gets PersonalPersonalization isn’t a new concept. Most online entities offer some sort of personalization to entice users. It allows them to create a more customized experience by drawing on information they voluntarily share with the site. That, in turn, drives up the quality of the experience, and keeps users coming back.
Rival Yahoo has offered a customized home page for years, and also has a personalized search offering in beta called My Web.
YahooPrivacy Concerns
Personalized search is hard to do very well, points out Mr. Sterling. But that won’t be the company’s biggest challenge, he says. A potential hurdle will be the public perception that the company has too much information on its users.
“It causes concern that my behavior is monitored,” he said. “There’s a fair amount of data that [shows] people have concerns about privacy, adware, and spyware.A lot of them are unfounded, but that’s a PR issue for personalized search.”
Google was probably expecting such concerns. It has preemptively given users tools to remove a page, site, or any search results from a search history. It also highlights the fact that it’s adding stronger password protection.
Google, which controls more than one-third of the search market, according to comScore Media Metrix, will offer personalized search in 12 languages, the same number of languages available to users who want to personalize their Google home page.