A relatively new term, social search is being touted by some as the next evolution of regular search engines. The biggest difference between Regular Search and Social Search is that normal search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing) rank websites based on keywords, page descriptions, and page titles. Social Search, on other hand, rank results based on the relevancy of content to your social connections such as those found on Blogger, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and more.

As the forerunner of search engines, Google is already leading the pack with it's Google +1 Button, which we discussed previously, in addition to using it's own profile network to return social search results (as explained in the video above). In fact, it was reported that Google recently changed its algorithm to make social content even more relevant in search results.

Why does it matter?

Google's recent announcement is only a small step for the company and one that should be seen as a sign of things to come. Essentially, what this means for businesses is that they'll need to start becoming more active in sharing social content in order to achieve better SEO (search engine optimization).

While the factors mentioned (keywords, descriptions, titles) above will still make a difference, original social content will soon become key to competing with other business on the internet-- all of whom are campaigning for attention.



How you can get started

I recently read a great article by author Jeff Korhan on the Social Media Examiner that gave some great advice on being proactive about social search. Some of the basics included:

• Claiming your business on Google and Facebook Places
• Creating a Twitter/Facebook account and enabling Location feature
• Using social check-in applications such as Foursquare to engage with customers
• Monitoring your brand in real-time using SocialMention or a similar platform

Most important to remember, however, is that social content is about sharing (both information and entertainment). The better you are able to communicate with prospects and customers, the more likely your chances of getting shared (and seen) are.