Internet giant Google has added yet another update to its search results process, allowing users to now judge individual pages by pressing a “+1” icon next to each one that will provide other users with an idea of which sites are most relevant.
The move comes just weeks after Google introduced another feature that allows users to block individual search results if they don’t want them, suggesting the internet giant is now beginning to add new layers of customisation to the search process.
Google announced the change last night in a blog post, saying that users’ results would now have icons next to them if those sites have been flagged by friends and family.
“To recommend something, all you have to do is click +1 on a webpage or ad you find useful. These +1’s will then start appearing in Google’s search results,” product manager Rob Spiro said in the post.
“When you do a search, you may now see a +1 from your slalom-skiing aunt next to the result for a lodge in the area. Or if you’re looking for a new pasta recipe, we’ll show you +1’s from your culinary genius college roommate.”
Spiro also said that even if none of the results in a certain page have been flagged for friends, recommendations may still appear. But for now, they’ll be sourced from “many signals”, according to Google, such as chat buddies and contacts.
“Soon we may also incorporate other signals, such as your connections on sites like Twitter, to ensure your recommendations are as relevant as possible.”
Such a move would be logical, as Google recently announced it would start including results in search pages that have been flagged and shared by users’ social networking friends and connections.
The +1 program will start rolling out on Google.com soon, but can be accessed now through Google’s experimental site.
One of the more fascinating aspects of the program is that not only will search results be eligible for recommendations, but so will advertisements. Google says more +1 icons will start rolling out across other products as well.
And some advertisers say they’ll be watching carefully. DeepFocus chief executive Ian Schafer told Mashable that using the +1 icon could help companies become more social.
“When someone is searching for a piece of information about a product, a review, or insightful commentary, it is typically a very insular activity,” he said.
“But being able to place a ‘seal of approval’ next to a search result may have the effect of making a typically insular activity more collaborative – hopefully improving the ‘algorithm’ through the quality of your connections.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
