Popular Mechanics has thrown up a thought-provoking article bringing to light the implications of social networking on the entire search industry as we know it.

I’d like to draw out one point.  Search today is being used as a tool for anonymous consumers to find the relevant information they need.  But what search today lacks is the ability to leverage the individual consumer’s social graph to provide much more relevant search results.

If I’m searching for a takeout restaurant in my area for food, I don’t just want a random list of close-by restaurants, I also want to know whether my friends, who’s opinions I trust, recommend each place or not.  I also want the search engine to know that I particularly fancy Italian food, so that it will prioritize those results.

Social media adds a new dimension to the relevancy of search results.  And with modern information overload, whoever can provide the most relevant search results will win.

Tags: Google, Search, Social Network //