The internet is abuzz with chatter about the new Google Search plus Your World. Love it hate it, for now it is here to stay. The question is what effect if any it will have on your SEO efforts. This isn’t the first time Google has attempted to individualize search results. Your physical location and sites you tend to go to regularly all have an impact on the results that you receive.
Google has now taken it one giant step forward. With Google SPYW, your own personal experiences and those of your friends and associates in your circles will rank higher in search results than websites with more authority and links.
Google + results include Google + profiles and Google People and Pages which in turn steals prime top of the page result spots. Why might this change affect you? Ninety million users have signed on and are using Google + to date.
Google is giving very little option to users on whether or not they want these search results. Currently anyone signing up for a new Gmail account, YouTube account and so on, are required to sign up for a Google + account. When logged in to Google + the SPYW is the default search option. It can be changed, but the button to do so is small and it is not obvious as to what it is for. Also, the search option changes back to Google + even after you have changed it, each time you log out.
Another issue is that even when not logged into Google + you will find that Goggle People and Places show up in search results. There is no way to turn this option off. Some critics say that Google SPYW forfeits relevant search results for social media resulting in a Hodge-podge that lack any authority or relevant content.
Whether you are friend or foe of the new Google + it is going to be even more important to produce keyword rich content that provides useable information that can be shared with others in your circle and beyond. Speaking of circles, just how many are you in? Increasing your exposure by growing your circles, (you can’t add yourself to a circle, someone must add you), will enhance the opportunity for your content to be seen not only in Google + but also in search engines in general.