A few days ago Google announced a new feature called Google SearchWiki, allowing you the ability to move and comment on search results. Though called a wiki, SearchWiki is really a misnomer considering that you cannot actually fully customize the search results and what each page says. A better name would have been SocialSearch considering that you can see comments made about various pages by other users logged into their own Google Account.

The idea of a social search is nothing new considering the plethora of social media sites around the web that have taken off with many fans of Digg, Reddit, Sphinn, HaoHao, etc (feel free to submit this to any of those of course *winks*), but what is new is a major search engine actually testing and using the concept of social media to affect the results you see. Both Yahoo and Google had actually tested this over a year ago, but required searchers to download an add-on to actually see truly wiki-like results, and as such never caught on.

If you want basic information about the ups and downs of using the new Google Search Wiki, please check SearchEngineLand and check Graywolf for a more… entertaining example of the downsides. I will be covering the SEO and online advertising aspect that could develop from Google’s new SocialSearch (as I will henceforth be referring to it as).

What SocialSearch could do to SEO:

Currently, the new feature rolled out by Google does not play a factor into the search results, but expect that if Google finds the use of it to be beneficial, then it will certainly do so. As a Search Strategist myself, this additional feature would likely force the industry to adopt social media with a stronger embrace as the human equation plays a stronger part beyond the standard on/off-site SEO. As if SEO is not nebulous enough with tracking the value of organic search, the inclusion of having to use social media will only make matters more indirect. Brand reputation will become exponentially cumbersome as comments will continually need to be made to knock out negative commenters.

And that is where things go from useful to spam-ish. Ironically as Google tries to move away from links playing a part in SEO, Google may be choosing the same, if not worse, path in deciding how organic results should rank. I can guarantee that if SocialSearch plays a part into how organic results rank across the board that spam in the comments, spam in emails (”please rank this site” instead of “please link to me”), and spam Google Accounts (with broken Captchas) will inevitably become the norm.

Yet, why do I say it could be worse with social media playing a part? Social media is mob rule at its best and worst. The nice side is you can find unique and strange stuff and share it to large groups of people; the downside is the credit goes to sites that have the largest following. Posted a hilarious picture and Gizmodo found it? Guess which site is going to show up at the top of social media. Minor newspaper outlets that use the AP? Guess which site is going to show up (even though the AP should almost never show up since they do not create their own content). Basically, social search is about those with the largest followings; you have a huge fan base, you win, regardless of what is relevant, correct, or fair.

Heck, I even expect to see a “RankUp” social media button to come about if Google implemented SocialSearch into its algorithm. You could simply post an article, and provide an automatic ability for your fan base to “Rank [it] Up” on their results.

What SocialSearch could do to advertising:

I see the most impact really on the advertising end, along the lines of what Facebook has done. As someone who finds the load times of pages unacceptable when half the load time is of ads that do not interest me, the system that Facebook has set up actually is working rather well. As I mentioned before about Facebook’s feedback advertising, the ability to place feedback on the ads have made them a lot more relevant to me and therefore worthwhile for myself and the advertiser. Theoretically, this could work in the same way for SocialSearch if Google uses the information to help further optimize its search for more relevant sites per keyword (what better way to understand the very general phrases or information only keyword searches) or through Google providing the thumb up/down information to the websites organically ranking.

It is an interesting concept, but the problem really is Google’s foundation of basing sites on popularity algorithms that will always favor those who are popular (whether through links or social media fans).