Google Search Gets Social

Over the past decade, the Internet has revolutionized and redefined networking and socializing. People are able to stay in closer contact with more people than they had in the past. In fact, my last high school reunion was organized on Facebook. Most people on the web these days are making social connections and publishing content in a variety of ways, including blogs, tweets, and status updates. Each person has their own special combination of social “webbery” but, unfortunately, it can be strewn across a number of different sites. This can make information not as accessible as one wishes in this age of instant communication.

Leave it to Google to find an outdated phone booth and emerge heroically. In an effort to find more relevant public content from your broader social circle, Google Labs is brewing up a new option for Google search results - Social Search. This new option brings together content in one single place to make your results more relevant. The results are specific to your online social circle and public Google profile, from the folks you are friends with on Facebook, Twitter or FriendFeed. The new tool skims the surface of all content and brings the most relevant to your attention.

Google’s Social Search can be used only if you have a profile with the giant. If you have one, you just need to be signed into your Google account, Gmail, or Google Reader to gain access. If you are not signed up with any type of Google account or profile, you will need to create one before you can access this new way to personalize your search results.