Personalized Search Now Default

SEO and Privacy forever changed

[incrediBILL]

Google Blog [googleblog.blogspot.com]

Today we're helping people get better search results by extending Personalized Search to signed-out users worldwide

That's a staggering statement meaning that every computer accessing Google is now being personalized, signed in or not, so any desktop, laptop or kiosk will start tracking everything everyone does and you won't be able to access the same search results from any two machines.

The possible impact to all is staggering.

[Leosghost]

and Eric Schmidt was at Bilderberg.

And anybody thinking of searching as to why that is so very relevant would be advised to use another search engine to do the search ..and to block Gorg properties via host files ( even if you only choose to do so temporarily) first ..( because Gorg may have something on the page ..( that drops a cookie ..like doubleclick or analytics..) that the other search engine sends you to ).Because there may come a day when Gorg will remind you that you searched ..and ask you to explain yourself ..or maybe their "friends" will ask you ..somewhere quiet ..or in a stadium in front of cameras ..along with others who made "uncorrect searches" and thought "uncorrect thoughts" ..

Some people in some places have already been there ..some are still there ..only Gorg was missing from the party ..for now ..

[adamxcl]

The do no evil days are gone. They are becoming more and more faceless. When they someday conquer phones, browsers, and operating systems it will be truly scary. Add in their integration with police, fire and other government agencies, helpfully layering their private data into layers and G Earth, it's just massive.

I find irony in that this happens almost exactly when CNBC is airing their documentary special making love to the big G.

[blend27]

CNBC and many others are relying on advertising served via Doubleclick(Gorg Property) on their sites, so if you read news on the web you are being tracked.

[smallcompany]

Few years ago, I was at the conference where I saw a presentation showing a "great" idea that made me feel sick.

Since you can be tracked via GPS through your cell phone, we can have ready your favorite coffee and doughnut in the local coffee shop as you're passing buy every morning at 7:45 AM.
You'll get charged through your cell phone bill.
***
Free has always been too expensive actually, including G's free stuff. As I got into this online business that friend of mine called devil's circle, I learned that free actually was a signal for "go away".

Yet, I use AdWords, GA, Search, etc.

Now I'm in a middle of the intersection of four lane streets, having 4 snipers pointing into my body from each side.
No Kevlar can stop those.

I'm being stuffed with BS down my throat without being asked or given an alternative. We know what you like, and even if you don't, we'll make you do. Who pays the most? Souls on sale!

Yes, there are still some choices like when parents decide to cut off the cable and have TV only for watching DVDs, but there's not much.

P.S.
Technically, G knows about your sites regardless of being logged, cookies deleted or not, based on at least one of their services "worming" through your computer.

[Hissingsid]

That guff said by Google CEO Eric Schmidt about them aiming to get to a point where Google will provide one result and it will be the correct answer to your query is starting to make sense. Or at least the warped thinking behind the idea is coming to light. He wasn't talking about some distant point in the future he was talking about in a few months.

Once Google takes the high handed approach of telling users what it thinks they want to see a new Google game will soon develop called a Google Plop.

A Google Plop is a question that Google can't answer. Like "why" or "if global warming is caused by man's activities who can we blame for the end of the last ice age".

Cheers

Sid

[Pfui]

FWIW... Checking current versions of Mac Safari and Firefox, if I'm not signed in, there's still no ability to disable search customization. What Google says is there simply isn't.

Search Results > Web History > Disable customizations <== NOPE
(only Web History if you're signed in)

Guess things may still be propagating, although the "Personalized Search: Turning off personalization" page is in place explaining how- and where-to. I'm just not able to. Yet.

[signor_john]

That guff said by Google CEO Eric Schmidt about them aiming to get to a point where Google will provide one result and it will be the correct answer to your query is starting to make sense.

Actualy, Mr. Schmidt's comment made a lot of sense in the context in which it was delivered. If you'd read the TechCrunch interview [techcrunch.com] where it first appeared, you'd understand that the comment was about the need for Google Search "to understand queries better, and return results that best match the real meaning of a query."

There's nothing "warped" or "high-handed" about trying to improve the quality of search for people who aren't professional researchers or librarians and have neither the skills nor the desire to use structured queries.

[dickbaker]

I just looked at three different browsers on Mac and Windows, and I don't think I've found the right cookie. Maybe it's not there. I found one from my domain (_utmz) that had Google in the content along with the search phrase I used. I don't think that would be it.

[maximillianos]

So has anyone seen any changes to their traffic? I know G said this was going live as of the announcement. I would imagine there is a ramp up period where they collect data for a few days/weeks before we start to see some changes.

But even then I don't suspect many of us are going to see any major changes in traffic. G tailoring results towards someones preferences does not really change much. Maybe saves folks some time from sifting through serps to get to the page they want.

Webmasters have to realize we make up less than a fraction of a percent of the general user population. Most users of search engines don't know to improve their query structure to get better results. They will habitually click through to the 2nd or 3rd page to get where they want to go over and over again. They remember it is on the 3rd page after I type in XYZ.

Overall I feel it is going to improve the search experience for the majority of the user community.

As for the webmaster community, of course we don't like it. Well I do, saves me from having to waste time monitoring search results each week. I can spend that time working on my site(s) now. ;-)

[Sidenote: Did anyone else get a bottle of blue pills from G for xmas this year? I've been taking mine for a few days now and I feel great. =)]

[Reno]

I reference here ONLY the video clip, not the commentary around it:

"... If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place ... the reality is that search engines, including Google, do retain this information for some time, and it's important, for example, that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act, and it is possible that information could be made available to the authorities."

Eric Schmidt to Maria Bartiromo [gawker.com] (33 second video clip)

ps. I could not find the clip on the CNBC website, so could not link to it directly.

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