After Google launched the first iteration of its personalized search feature in 2005, nothing would ever be the same. With this technology, Internet users around the world suddenly found out that their online activities were being tracked. On the one hand, it helps search engines deliver targeted and local content. On the other hand, it might seem a little strange to the average user. In the world of online marketing, where do we draw the line?
How does custom search work?
While custom search was first implemented over a decade ago, Google's 2009 update to the mechanism made some major changes. Before this update, only registered Google users would receive personalized search results. Today, however, Google can deliver personalized results, whether you're logged in or not.
If you're signed in to your Google Account, you'll receive more personalized results. It will also use content from your Google systems, including Google Calendar data and Google Plus information.
When you're not signed in, Google uses your search history based on 180 days of cookie data to personalize results. It tracks your interests and behavior to provide you with relevant content.
How to optimize for custom search
From a marketing perspective, personalized search means that optimizing for specific keywords can only take you so far. To alleviate this problem for web marketers, Google uses something called "average position" to help everyone understand where their brands rank in search results compared to others.
Where your brand has made an impression on the web, your average position is where you rank in search results. However, this can be a bit tricky, and this is where vanity keywords and other old SEO and link building tactics backfire.
So how can you perform better on a search engine that doesn't work like it used to? You will need to take advantage of a few different factors, and location is one of them. Sign up for Google Maps and Google+ Small Business and make sure your content works in your area. Also, always make sure that your web content is universally viewable on all devices.
One step further: provide personalized content.
Taking advantage of personalized search also means tailoring your marketing strategy to Google's algorithm. For example, custom landing pages create relevance and improve user experience. By tagging a visitor's IP address, you can automatically send them to a landing page specific to their location. This can be especially useful if your company provides services in multiple areas.
Tracking user habits can also help personalize the content you provide. For example, monitor how much time they spend on individual web pages on your site. By predicting the content they're interested in, you can provide suggestions in your sidebar or for other blog posts or articles through unobtrusive pop-ups.
Toeing the Line: Personal Vs. Disgusting
When it comes to customization, it's always a good idea to tread carefully. According to an Ipsos survey, 68 percent of Americans are concerned about having their online activities tracked. Personalization was designed to deliver better and more relevant content to Internet users, not scare them away.
The distinction between "personal" and "offensive" is actually pretty easy. It just needs some sophistication. If a customer abandons an online shopping cart at an e-commerce store that specializes in baby goods, it's not uncommon to retarget that person with ads for abandoned items, which is smart.
On the other hand, no one wants Big Brother to know the intimate details of their lives. Don't send an email that announces, "We heard you're expecting a baby in three weeks. Check out these amazing products for new moms! This takes several steps to become scary territory."
Putting it all together
Whatever you do, custom search is here, and it's getting more and more advanced. The world of online advertising and search engine optimization is changing rapidly, and marketing agencies will need to risk slipping down the search engine rankings without a chance.
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