'Net Features : social search

Bing and the Evolution of Social Search

Michael Garrity — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:30:00 GMT

One complaint that Internet users tend to lodge about Google is that the Web services company tries to force users into adopting all of its various properties to get the full range of benefits from using just one of them.

Of course, Google does this because it wants to keep as many people using all of its many services (search, Gmail, YouTube, Google+, etc.) as it can. For those that do use them all, Google provides seamless integration across its Web properties that allows users to stay logged in on all of the company’s websites, while promising a personalized experience based on their pervious actions – no matter where they are at the time.

Bing's Social Adaptation

Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which is still trying to catch up after Google’s massive head start, has decided to take a wildly different approach to socializing the search process for users. Rather than trying to be inclusive and requiring users to stay within the confines of only its Web properties to provide a social, personalized search experience, Bing has decided to try to extend its social search capabilities as far across the Internet as it can; it did this by partnering with the undisputed biggest name in social media: Facebook.

With Facebook (and its 1 billion users), Bing is able to cast a very wide net across the social Web. After all, many websites now incorporate some sort of Facebook data, whether that’s by including social login in its comment sections or just adding a “Like” button to a content page. This seemingly ubiquitous presence all over the ‘Net is both Facebook and Bing’s biggest asset against Google, and by combining one another’s services (and user data), they may just stand a chance at providing an alternative, less-exclusive and potentially better social search experience.

While the Bing and Facebook partnership began when the search engine provided the Web search functionality for the social network, they have since done much more to integrate the two services. Now, Bing searchers can actually see recommendations and social signals from their Facebook friends as part of their search results by seeing what those other users “Like” or talk about relating to the search query at hand.

Graph Search: An Evolutionary Leap

More recently (as in last week), Facebook announced the beta release of Graph Search, a Bing-powered solution to let users search the content they have shared on the social network. This tool will help people discover information based on data that Facebook has collected from its users, allowing them to search across all of their Facebook content and connections to find new people, places and things.

But the real point here is that Facebook and Bing worked together to create “a unified search experience” that allows users to search beyond Facebook, showing Web search results from Bing that use “social context and additional information” (e.g. Facebook pages). For instance, when a Facebook user searches for something on the site, Bing results will show up alongside Facebook content with additional news and information that is annotated with data about how many people "Liked" and shared the contents of those search results on Facebook. In short, the social network has begun to integrate Bing Web search results into its site search results and combining them with exclusive Facebook data.

Looking Forward

Granted, this is still in an experimental phase for Graph Search, and it is in no way ready to compete with the combined efforts of Google+ and Google’s Search Plus Your World socially personalized search initiative, but what is important is that it finally gives Bing something of a social edge on The Big G. By joining forces with Facebook, Bing not only has access to the social data of a significantly larger user base than Google+, but it also has a much larger group of websites and blogs that integrate Facebook services from which it can pull information and improve its search results.

Perhaps most important, however, is that the Bing/Facebook approach doesn’t really require (Facebook) users to change behavior, as these new social search features are being integrated into each brand’s regular services. This slow, less-obtrusive transition could help spur on the gradual, refined and, ultimately, more successful evolution of social search.

Bing Redesign Gets Top Result in Social Search

Michael Garrity — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:25:00 GMT

A few weeks back, Bing made some design changes to its search results pages that were meant to offer a new de-cluttered experience and make it easier for users to quickly find the best results for their queries.

Microsoft’s search engine added some more changes on Thursday, one that highlights different results types in three vertical columns and, most importantly, finally does social search right (and much better than Google).

Now, when a SERP pops up, everthing from the center to the left side of the page will show the algorithmic text results. To the right of that, context results will appear, including maps, reviews and actionable input fields. Finally, the far right side of the screen displays “social assistance” results; this focuses on social network connections (notably from Facebook) and experts who can help searchers find the information they want.

One of the best social assistance features is an “Ask Friends” option that lets users request help from their Facebook friends in sorting through results. After entering a question, Bing will automatically post it to the users’ Facebook profile along with a link to the user’s current search. If any friends make recommendations, the searcher will be notified in the social assistance sidebar.

Overall, this is a solid addition and further advances the company’s efforts to cut down on a lot of the clutter that can quickly become distracting and cumbersome for users.

Of course, this is also probably a shot at Google’s attempts at social search with its integration of Google+ to create Search Plus Your World, which has been accused of overemphasizing the importance of Google+ content.

In addition to the latest design tweaks, Bing is including more social functionality into its product. Thanks to an instant personalization partnership with Facebook, users will be able to see what their friends have liked in search results, which shows up as a thumbs up icon next to the text results. However, Facebook Likes won’t have an effect on search result rankings.

For more information about the new design, click here, and here for a video highlighting the new social search features.

Foursquare Explores Social Search

Allison Howen — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Foursquare wants its users to explore.

The location-based company launched an “explore” feature for smartphones last March, and the feature has now migrated to desktops, which allows users to discover new places based on other users’ recommendations and check-ins.

The Explore option can be thought of as Foursquare’s first go-round at social search.

“Most real-world searches are one-size fits all. You search for pizza, and it gives you the same list of pizza places, whether you like deep dish or thin crust, whether you want a slice or a sit-down meal, or whether your friends would love it or hate it,” says the company’s blog. “But not with Foursquare Explore, because you and your friends’ check-ins (along with the 1,500,000,000 more from the foursquare community) help us personalize our recommendations for you. Every time you check in, we get better at finding places you’ll like.”

This social search option is personalized and specific. For example, if someone types in “thin crust” they won’t just get results for pizza places, but instead specific results will appear for restaurants with thin crust pizza. Additionally, users can type in adjectives such as "fun" or "romantic", to find spots to their liking. Users can also specify certain options when typing in a keyword, which filters places that the user hasn’t been to, has been to, their friends have been to, or places that have Foursquare specials.

The service is powered by 1,500,000,000 check-ins, tens of millions of Tips and over a half million lists. The service should prove to be especially useful to local businesses, since all of the searches are tailored to local results – unless specified for a different city.

Today Bing Forever Changes Search and SEO

Mike Phillips — Mon, 16 May 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Bing has made an announcement that might prove to be the biggest blow ever dealt to rival Google. Starting now, Bing will incorporate Facebook data into search results in the most personal and actionable social search to date. In short, search for something on Bing and, if you have activated Facebook results, you will see which pages, products and websites your friends like and recommend -- very high in results, no matter if that website routinely ranks first or dead last.

Got your attention?

Watch the video below, then keep reading to understand the full impact this has on Web professionals of every kind.

Perhaps what stands out most is that these results appear completely independent of any traditional SEO practices. If your friends like it, it will appear on the first page of results. Without a shadow of a doubt, this forever changes search and SEO. Here's how:

It's Not What you Know, but Who you Know

If you've ever searched for a job, you very well know that connections are what matters most. Bing is applying the same principle to search. The higher your business' visibility on Facebook, the better chances of your website being Liked and your content and products appearing high on these new social search results. As mentioned in the video, your Facebook friends don't need to Like content for it to appear high on Bing results -- even the Collective IQ will influence results.

Bing says this about how Facebook conversations will be incorporated, in their official blog post about the matter: "Our vision is to combine Bing with the power of discovery and empowerment of conversation. That’s when the magic will really begin."

Clearly, more social integration will be coming from Bing.

Content Keeps the Throne

Let's take a brief step back. Content is King, and so it remains still. The only way a page will be Liked by the masses on Facebook is if it contains great content. That also means varied content -- not just blog posts but also video, images and audio -- as well as content optimized for a social context. But this does not kill traditional SEO. In many cases, pages will still need to be "found" in order to be Liked from the new Bing button. Total strangers to your business can still influence search results, so SEO still matters.

Facebook Domination

It's easy to see that Bing is relying on Facebook for social search. Some might think that, because it's so focused on one website, Facebook, this news is not exactly earth-shattering. But as Facebook blows past three-quarters of a billion users stretching across the world, yes, it matters greatly. Consider that Facebook users -- all of them -- now have added incentive to use Bing rather than Google. And don't expect Facebook to be the only or last social experience to be incorporated in Bing results. This is just the beginning.

Another interesting note -- Facebook could block Google from indexing any or all of its content, at any time. Which, could all but kill Google for heavy Facebook users.

Bing has much more to share about their new social search.

Google, are you there?

You can understand if Google just swallowed. Hard. I can tell you that I've found Google search results -- while thorough -- less relevant as my Internet experience has become more social and localized. I bet I'm not the only one. Now you can understand why Google has been frantically trying to enter the social space, most recently with Google +1. Maybe, just maybe, it's too little, too late.

Does this change search forever?

Does this make Facebook a top business priority?

Should Google be worried?

Share your thoughts below!

Quick Response: Reddit Rolls Out Faster Search

Linc Wonham — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:30:00 GMT

Responding to user complaints about its search accuracy and speed, social news aggregator Reddit has launched a new search engine. The company outsourced the project to a search business called Flaptor — which counts blogging platform WordPress among its clients — and Reddit’s new hosted search product is called IndexTank.

The faster engine allows users to search for posts in real time by title, text and author’s username. IndexTank also enables Reddit users to limit their searches to self-posts and specific “subreddits”, but comments to posts are not searchable at this time.

Earlier in the week, Reddit announced its new premium membership service, and the site’s improved search functions will certainly be a strong selling point for Reddit Gold. Reddit is similar to social news aggregation site Digg, and claims about 8 million unique monthly visitors per month.

SEO for Google Social Search

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:23:00 GMT

Search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns have moved far beyond simply optimizing <title> tags, page content, and generating incoming links.

Now that Google “universal” or “blended” search has become widespread on almost every search query, a standard organic listing is competing with images, video, news, local, paid and real-time search. Now we can add social search results to the mix. These new sets of results not only deliver content that might have otherwise gone unnoticed, but also have the potential to push other, organic listings off the visible page. That means social media optimization (SMO) is now in direct competition with SEO. However, don’t be discouraged. The good news is that it’s often much easier to get top rankings for a blended or social search category than a highly competitive organic listing. That is, of course, if you understand how to optimize for Google Social Search.

Understanding Google Social Search
It’s important to differentiate Social Search from Google’s realtime search results. Real-time results are labeled “Latest results for ...” and include a scrolling results box for some queries. Alternatively, Google Social Search is labeled “Results from people in your social circle for ...” and results appear with an accompanying image (or avatar) from your social circle.

Think of Social Search as Google “Trust” Search. By personally choosing to “follow” certain friends and websites online, Google assumes that information from these sources is important, relevant and trusted by you and uses these contacts to form your social graph. Then, particular queries will return results from those in your circle — their blog posts, Twitter updates, etc. Google feels this can add yet another layer to search results and improve your overall search experience.

How does Google Determine Relevancy for Social Search?
Google claims to use a normal ranking algorithm when determining what websites to display first in Social Search results. So, page content, number of incoming links, and incoming link quality and authority are the primary ranking factors. However, expect this to change as Google continues to test and tweak Social Search results and puts more emphasis on the Direct and Secondary connections within your social circle.

Optimizing for Google Social Search
First and foremost, you must have a Google Profile that includes information about you, and links to websites you want to promote. This should include links to your primary website and its weblog, and social profile URL’s including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, FriendFeed, Yelp, etc. In short, any active social network profile should be included. While some networks and their content will not be indexed by Google (such as Facebook), linking those profiles to your Google profile (and vice-versa) will offer a better chance of connecting with people through Google and, ultimately, be found in Social Search results.

Establish Connections within Gmail and Google Chat
While time consuming, it is worth gathering as many Gmail and/or Google Chat contacts as possible, as it will increase your exposure in Social Search. Unfortunately, contacts from other networks are not as easily imported. You can’t add Twitter followers easily — they must be added one-byone. But you can import contacts from a CSV file, for example. Remember, not only will your contacts see you in their Social Search results, but you have the potential to be seen by the connections-of-your-connections or friends-offriends. In short, your reach will grow exponentially as you add connections.

Keep Content Relevant and High-Quality
Aggressively pursuing new contacts is important to Social Search success. However, you want to stay relevant and post quality content. Posting low-quality, keyword-stuffed content will result in the same fate as usual — low conversion rates. Or, in this case, you might find yourself banned from your contacts’ Social Search results. Remember, these results are targeted to friends and trusted contacts. So, you want to appear as genuine and trustworthy as possible.

Social Search is Here to Stay
With the explosion of Facebook and Twitter you can no longer ignore the enormous potential in being social. Google wants its share of the social pie, so don’t expect them to remain idle while Facebook and Twitter try to eat into their search market share. However, it is important to keep in mind that Google will continue to test and tweak results. Not every query will result in Social Search results, and you can expect many changes on the results pages and to the social ranking algorithm in the future. In the interim, get ahead of the game by optimizing your Google Profile for Social Search while competition is fairly low. It will benefit your overall social media and SEO efforts.

:: by Dante Monteverde, SEO Corner Columnist at Website Magazine ::

Google Acquires Aardvark, Beefs up Social Search?

Mike Phillips — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:10:00 GMT

Google is on a social roll. After announcing social sharing feature Buzz in Gmail, they now have announced the acquisition of Aardvark, a social media search startup. Aardvark is a sort of mashup between services like KGB and Yahoo! Answers. You type a question (from the web, IM, email, Twitter, or iPhone), and Aardvark taps the social Web to find the best person to answer that question. Of course, we won't know exactly how Google will use Aardvark. But if Google Social Search is any indication of where they are headed, it's not hard to imagine this acquisition will support those efforts.

According to Aardvark's FAQs, when you ask a question:

Aardvark then searches through all of the people in your network who are available over IM or email to find the right match for you for that topic. Aardvark considers…

related topics in people's profiles
how you’re connected to people
who you trust about related topics
your history of training Aardvark
people who share your favorites (for taste-related questions)
people in the right location (for location-related questions)
other mysterious factors…

What's interesting to note is that answers are coming from people in your social network, so to speak. You can also connect to Aardvark through Facebook connect. That's rather interesting, as Google currently does not index profile content from Facebook. Is this a workaround to tapping Facebook for search results ... and more?

Whatever the case may be, now that Google is involved, it's a good time to put Aardvark on your radar. Should this become a part of Google's search arsenal, you will want to be in the mix.

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Digg Announces API Enhancements for Developers

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:40:00 GMT

A very notable advance in social search pretty much flew completely under the radar last week.

Social powerhouse Digg announced several important enhancements to their API which will make it easier for developers to build applications using Digg data. Much of the data and analytics surrounding Digg content will be enhanced on this revision of the API.

Digg has made available a search endpoint which provides developers the ability to find specific content on Digg. Developers will also be able to use some advanced shortcuts, common search tricks, and search by source (domain). More information is available on the Search API documentation.

A series of related stories endpointss has also been added. Developers will be able to build application which leverage Digg's related stories capabilities to, for example, find stories similar diggers have dugg. Another example might be returning stories with similar keywords. Digg most notably in my opinion has included an endpoint for favorites on Digg, which is a great way to determine which stories people find exceptional in some manner.

Finally, Digg has also made a subtle change to its API license, removing most of the commercial limitations which should give developers more control over the applications they create using the Digg API, with full ownership, i.e. no fees - hooray!

Steve Rubel (and Edelman) on Search Engine Visibility

Pete Prestipino — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:16:00 GMT

There are clearly some changes occurring in the search marketplace - namely, the process and the practice are evolving.

Steve Rubel has co-authored a fascinating 13-page position paper on Search Engine Visibility and is making it public today at the Edelman New Media Academic Summit in Washington.

Rubel argues that two new disciplines are emerging from search visibility tactics - reputational search and social search. The premise and promise of Reputational Search is that any company, NGO or brand can apply a search mindset to tried-and-true PR tactics and, in the process, influence the search results around certain keywords.

With Google and competitors increasingly prioritizing social content from Flickr, blogs, Twitter and others in result pages, it is imperative that brands build out "embassies" in all relevant networks – places where employees work to serve the interests of the community, as well as their company.