Member Avatar for jay 11

Just yesterday, Google announced that they will display personalized search results based on usage - regardless if you are signed in or not. So this means that they now track the search activity of All 'enabled' (by default) users and display customized search results. They are tracking 'signed-out' users via a cookie linked to the web browser. Users *can* opt out of "search customizations" but i'm confident that a majority of people will not...

This has already raised some privacy concerns over at Search Engine Land, but from an SEO perspective, I see it as another shift in favoritism toward the "white label" web destinations. For example, if you have a niche travel site but the end users mostly clicks on Expedia or Trip Advisor, it is likely that they will be displayed ahead of your site in the SERPs. Even though you might have the more relevant and resourceful website. I'm interested in hearing everyone's thoughts about this announcement...

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by canadafred
Member Avatar for canadafred

... I'm interested in hearing everyone's thoughts about this announcement...

This was just a matter of time.

This type of advancement will cause not only for a whole new breed of search engine spammers to sprout but also for all kinds of new marketing scams to easily exploit unsuspecting web site owners.

Naturally, just as the search engine starts evening out the SERP playing field and rendering the SEO profession legitimate again, they throw in another curve ball to twist it all up. Wreaking chaos in the Internet marketing world as best they can seems to be the secondary motto to "Do no evil". Anybody see the irony?

Member Avatar for AirForceOne

I don't think this new feature would be helpful for Google or its users. Totally unreasonable, IMO.

Member Avatar for MktgRob

While the SEO aspects of this are troubling to anyone trying to get their company the best possible position in the SEs, the privacy issue is far more troubling to me. As more people find out about this it could drive them away from Google.

Member Avatar for canadafred

...As more people find out about this it could drive them away from Google.

Good insight. I never thought about that. The search engine could spank itself into sensibility with enough of a privacy revolt.

Member Avatar for boattraveller78

Aaron Wall said something very useful (probably a few years ago), that the less you rely upon google for traffic, the more google will rely upon you...
Very wise, and pretty difficult

Member Avatar for InsightsDigital

There are two sides here:
1. Google is becoming the ultimate datawarehouse of digital behavior
2. People will either fight against Google or just swim with it and accept Google as the big mighty one.

Member Avatar for chandi786

being an SEO, I am getting worried, what is my career in SEO ?

Member Avatar for canadafred

Bing's doing it too now.

Member Avatar for MktgRob

Bing's doing it too now.

Can Yahoo be far behind?

As this seems to be a way for Google to keep track of what you are doing one has to wonder if the Chrome browser is some how part of this and what that is relaying back to Google. Just a thought but I am going to avoid doing any online banking or anything else dealing with my finances or personal business through the Chrome browser going forward. A little paranoid you say? Possibly but better to be safe than sorry.

Member Avatar for canadafred

Can Yahoo be far behind?

As this seems to be a way for Google to keep track of what you are doing one has to wonder if the Chrome browser is some how part of this and what that is relaying back to Google. Just a thought but I am going to avoid doing any online banking or anything else dealing with my finances or personal business through the Chrome browser going forward. A little paranoid you say? Possibly but better to be safe than sorry.

I'm really shocked at Microsoft for doing this. Luckily it is really easy to turn off. At this moment I'm on a public computer and I can see the last 4 searches performed in Bing by the previous users. They don't even have to be logged in. One is a fairly interesting search for marine paint. Another is a bit bizzare, I won't get into details. The other two were from someone looking for auto parts. I'm not saying I can track their activities very far but I can certainly gain some intelligence on previous users of this computer. I can't see this being a good thing, especially with regards to privacy issues.

What's next? Publicly displaying our search requests for all to peruse.

...and ya, Yahoo surely will follow.

Edited by canadafred because: clarification
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