Google Outsourcing Their Search Algo.....To You!

By letting users build their own search results tells Google not just what people click on but what people actually like. I think you're right about seeing broader patterns emerging, and wouldn't it be interesting if in a few years a Google tool was created to show marketers what people actually liked, similar to the trends or insights tools.

Interesting that a single vote takes the result to the top, not just one place up.

BTW, I think they can't publicly say that they will use this to rearrange ranks. Or we will have other stories like people outsourcing to Asians to go on bike from one cafe to another, and vote up/comment for their site.

Also, I can't see what would be the motivation for a genuine searcher in using this feature. I mean I may 'remove' wikipedia and other competitors and may ask some friends to do so but if I am just using Google normally, why would I bother to click there. One exception can be when I do a navigational query often and the result isn't there.

Maybe GG is trying to layoff some of it's 10,000 quality raters; the economy's hard.

I think it is just another potential signal of quality for Google to use...the risk of trying it out is fairly minimal, and if the signal works then good deal for them.

Why would people use it? Well lots of people use Del.icio.us...but this is one better than Del.ici.us...rather than people bookmarking whatever is hot at the moment with tons of different tags people are stating what keywords certain content deserves exposure for.

To some degree this might mostly just reinforce what is already is popular.

It is still new…I am uncertain how much they will use it, but if they do then creating the type of content that people would want to bookmark and share is important. Branding would increase in value.

Also the type of people looking for an additional voice beyond what they find in Google’s organic results are the type of people who would be likely to be able to cite / link to quality resources…if you like the concept of social media then you have to appreciate that this is another channel to be found through.

Search is so targeted that even if only 1 in 1,000 click on this it is still a nice additional distribution channel.

I meant lack of motivation since Google claims my votes won't push deserving content up for other users, unlike StumbleUpon and the like where votes push the content up for others as well. But I guess you are right, little harm in testing and with the current likeness of social media amongst netizens, it can become hot.

On another note, the comment thing is interesting and can also have devastating effects for some. Because whether my votes affect others' serps or not, my comments can be viewed by everyone. It can be more effective if GG places individual 'view public comments' buttons besides all individual results (the public comments link is at the bottom currently and for the whole serp, not individualized).

Suppose a web designing company doesn't provide me good services, I can add some negative comments. Can make a huge difference that way, as Peter mentioned in a recent post that social media can't be controlled. Imagine a person doing a navigational query to buy something, then reads the public comments and changes his mind.

Hi, surely this is so open to abuse from competitors, or will it register ISP's and ban multiple clicks?

Just so you know, it breaks SEO for firefox on mine..... :(

I could see this being abused if they did make it effect main SERPs, hello to India wide SEO centres $1000 for 10,0000 reviews methinks.

We are trying to fix seo 4 firefox.

Timing is bad.

At this time when people are loosing their jobs, and income shrinking, Google has come out with this SearchWiki (the name for a layman looks like some partnership with WikiPedia ;-)) which says – "common guys help me and I won’t pay you a dime for this".

I feel it will be more manipulative than helpful. Most SearchWiki users will be webmasters trying to manipulate the results in the hope their site or their friend’s may get a better rank.

Only time will tell. Unfortunately most of us will never know if Google actually bases its results on how people *vote* in SearchWiki.

Dilip Shaw

This is Google trying to take over the "bookmark" function of the browser, as well as the whole social bookmarking and commenting thing. I wondered when they were going to move into the territory of all the Digg-type sites.

This is google getting lazy...

The reality is they could easily track this themselves, as they are tracking results that are clicked on.

So simply.

If a user clicks on a result and doesn't come back +1, if a user clicks and comes back (mean unstatisfied) -1 .. nuff said.

But this is as much marketing as it is a relevancy idea. It will make some people feel an allegiance to Google and kills the Wikia search product dead. It will also make some people talk about the comments on Google search...further building Google's brand as THE place to search.

I disagree with Mike that Google will share this info with marketers-or if they do, they will share it in the way they share the info in Trends, using big, wide strokes and offering little as far as minute detail. There is too much money at stake - and IMO, Goog will be more likely to acquire the businesses to monetize the information themselves than share it in any meaningful way. Do they EVER let out more information now than you'd see on Trends? Not that I see. We all know how valuable knowing search habits can be - why would Goog give away a piece of the pie? They have the money and braintrust to capitalize on the data, and that's what I would think is the underlying intention.
I tend to agree with Dilip - this is something that webmasters will be more interested in than other users.

I really think it was just a matter of time before Google came up with something like this. That said, doesn't make it any less interesting to see what will happen next.

I know Bruce Clay recently had an interview where he stated that "ranking is dead", I do think that's an over statement but I also agree that things are going to be changing drastically (albeit slowly) with regards to how Google ranks sites, especially when it concerns user preference - SearchWiki could be a start to that even if they don't officially use the results as ranking factors.

I may be being paranoid of course ;)

I am less interested in how this will change the main stream SERPs and more concerned that giving people the ability create their own personal search results will give less reliance on the main stream SERPs, thus making our significance as SEOs close to nothing.

If people can manipulate their own SERPs to pretty much create their perfect personalized service then, why would there be a need for SEOs, and how would we even start and try to manipulate this type of service?

I'm not seeing SearchWikia (I'm not in the US). Is it US only at the moment?

I think it is US only (or possibly US and UK) at launch.

@Aaron

Thats a good point, maybe the SearchWikia will be only hip to the major search geeks like us!

Here is another way of looking at it. In the above blog post it asked readers to bookmark this page. Out of about 30,000 RSS subscribers and other blog readers so far about a dozen have. Costs them nothing but 5 seconds and most people are too lazy to.

My main question is this - Do you think that non social media users/types are smart enough to even figure it out?

Most will not use it right away...but it does not cost Google much to try this out, and if it catches on they are ahead of the curve.

@Peter Da Vanzo

What about the contest you opened? How are you going to know who's who? Only the signatures are visible as I can see.

the person who left comments there should comment on this page and say "hey I am xyz on the searchwiki"

That's great.
I am PK on the Searchwiki.

@hallandnash

"If a user clicks on a result and doesn't come back +1, if a user clicks and comes back (mean unstatisfied) -1 .. nuff said."

That doesn't take account of a user's reading speed, the site's download speed (and more importantly how fast the juicy content downloads, since few people care about the ads), and the user's own broadband speed. Also, some people could stay to browse a site because they can't quite believe how awful it is, and want to show their friends.

Hey I am gallaghersean on the searchwiki

I leave the country for a few days, and look what I come back to! Ha!

I'm Yoshimi on the search wiki :) (see what it takes for me to finally register after reading for 3 years...you'll never get rid of me now!)

I am business entrepreneur, Few months before i was in a huge loss and the reason behind it was my bad marketing. One day I heard from one of my friends about SEO and I hired SEO consultant to market my business and today I am in to huge profit. After reading the above article I think that I can start the SEO by my own. Thanks for the stuff and keep posting more tips on SEO.

I wrote a review for the site, but one problem, it now almost fills my entire screen in the SERPs! I guess that's not a problem when I'm looking for this site anyway.

Hi Aaron,

Just checking up to see who won the contest?

Thanks and keep up the great work.

- Sean

Hi Sean
A few days ago I sent them a link to join the community privately via email. I think his username here is Sokoban.

Okay thanks, good job to him!

Ah shame - I just came back to see who won!! And my review was like War and Peace too! :)

Cheers all the same Aaron,

Ben