The burning question is how this integrates with the Google ranking algorithm? Do the votes which the end users are making within their own Google accounts have a bearing on the results generated for others?
Potentially this could be a minefield, so to speak, as people will go to any lengths to propel their site to the top.
Google have made it clear that for the time being, this system will have no impact on the traditional ranking system of web pages – in that changes are visible only to the person who made them – this from the official Google blog “The changes you make only affect your own searches.” Any “notes” added, however, will be shared across the user base via the “see all notes for this SearchWiki” link.
Eventually, this could make page 1 search results more relevant for the end user. It could also signify the beginning of the end for sites which are not designed with quality of content and usability in mind, and it will change the way that Google handles WebSpam. In essence, the Google WebSpam team just increased exponentially, to include each and every user.
Harnessing the power of the social network, Google have made another leap deeper into the realms of the “semantic web 2.0”. Essentially the concept of content rankings adjusted with a voting system is nothing new, however this time it’s on a scale which has never been seen before.
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Today Google has introduced an interactive ‘social’ element to their standard search engine results, a feature they’ve dubbed SearchWiki. (Note: the features of Google's SearchWiki are only available to logged-in Google users)
SearchWiki is a Google search results page update which has been on the horizon for a while now – limited testing made some of the features visible to users over the past few months.
James fronts Online Marketing Consultancy at Coast Digital, developing fully integrated marketing strategies and solutions for brands and organisations. James works to maximise his clients’ return from investment around the core online marketing channels and disciplines, including Search; SEO and PPC, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media, Email, Display and Conversion Rate Optimisation.
James is a certified Google AdWords Professional, is Google Analytics IQ certified, and also provides training, external lectures and workshops on developing online marketing strategy and making the most of the search landscape. He has also authored a number of publications and guides, both technical and strategic.
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