Is Personalized search really useful?

It’s not a secret that Google has been changing its algorithm a lot since they first started as a search engine. And with millions of users who want to find results relevant to their searches, innovation is necessary to keep the top place in business. With the many innovations Google has brought throughout the years came Google Personalized Search. To understand it better, we recommend reading the article below to find the two viewpoints behind the functionality of this searching feature.

So what is it exactly ? Well to answer that question, we must take into account that nowadays, social networks have become more and more important, and with them , the way we search has changed. Also, with the vast resources available to Google, storage of options and preferences has become quite a lot easier to accomplish.

According to Google’s own definition, what personalized search does is that it “personalizes your search results based on your past search activity on Google”. So in order to avail from it, you have to be logged in your personal Google account, which nearly everyone has these days. If you use any of Google’s plethora of services (Gmail, Google+, Google Talk, etc. ) you likely already have an account and given enough time, your search results will become more personalized.

What is different ?

This is the natural response for most people who haven’t noticed all that much difference, but would like to know how Personalized Search has affected their queries to Google.

To clarify on that, Google inserts results which are more similar to what you clicked on your previous queries, by doing some math on your previous choices. Your previous choices, naturally, need to be shared somewhere.

That place is called your Google Web History, and may be accessed for your account. It contains URLs of the pages and the search query you typed to get to them. There are some benefits you using Google History , because you can browse it if you forgot something you searched for and need to find it again.

Also, with the introduction of Google+, Google search also includes things your friends might have shared in Google+, making your search result page full of things your friends might have found useful. Some may be proponents of this feature, while others oppose it with a passion, and well , there is reason for both things.

Why turn it off?

Well, I can bet there are many of you who are not entirely comfortable with the idea of being tracked. To be honest, if your searches can be tracked for good, they can be tracked for not so noble purposes. One possible way would be to track what you like and need, and take advantage of your unfortunate position by offering overpriced products advertisements. These may be conspiracy theories, but they may also be exactly what’s going on, so many people are cautious.

Aside from that, the quality of searches is also important. Would you really need to see something you have already seen, or another, better solution for what you’ve been looking for? Or is it better to have search results biased by your friend’s shares ? My friends are fans of the Wii, and when I search for “best console”, I will get my friend’s biased opinion on top of what millions think and have written all over the Internet.

So there are reasons to turn it off, and there are plenty, by that. But realistically, it depends on your personal preference.

Ways to circumvent personal search

You can always turn it off from your account settings, if you don’t like your results to be biased.

Another good option would be to log out of your Google account. Either do that the classic way, by clicking the “Sign Out” button, or access your browser’s “private browsing feature”. In this mode, you will be logged of from all your accounts. Most modern browsers support this feature, but it’s made best in Chrome and Firefox.

Personalized Search may prove beneficial to many, but it also comes with its own set of drawbacks you need to think of every time. So be sure to stop it, if you find it an inconvenience for you.