Google launches SearchWiki
On the 20th of Nov’08 Google announced the launch of SearchWiki. In other words Google gets personal with SearchWiki. SearchWiki lets users customize their search results by re-ranking, deleting, adding and commenting on Search Results. With just a single click users can move the results they like to the top or add a new site. One can also add notes to a particular site and remove results that they don’t think relevant.
SearchWiki
These modifications will be shown to the users every time they do the same search in the future. For this to happen, you have to be logged in to a Google account so that the changes you make will be saved and shown the next time you run the same search.
How SearchWiki works?
Log in to your google account and search for a query on Google Search. For every search result, you will see two light-colored icons next to the listing which lets you reorder the search results. An up arrow lets you move a result higher on the page; an X will remove the result. After you’ve moved a result higher, a down arrow shows up so you can move it back down the page. The icons turn bright green after an edit to remind you that you edited the result. A fourth icon in the shape of a text bubble lets you leave comments on any listing; anyone can see the comments you make on a separate page.
Example
- Logged in to my Google Account and searched for my name Arun Yerram.
- I would certainly want my name to be the first result. So, I clicked on Up Arrow button and promoted it to the top.
- Now every time I search for Arun Yerram it would appear at the top.
- When you are not logged in, and when you search for Arun Yerram the result will be the undo of the changes that were just made. So, a search on my name will result to the same result as before.
SearchWiki is smart enough to remember the changes you made when you search again for the same exact phrase.
Customization
Add a Result
There’s an ‘Add a link’ at the bottom of the search pages through which you can suggest a link to the search results. There are other options through which you can view the notes and all the other changes that you have made with the results.
SearchWiki is turned on by default for everyone who’s logged in to their Google Accounts. You can turn it off by logging off! 
For now, this is the only way to turn it off! The simplest way is to ignore it.
Implications on SEO or Page Ranking
The changes made through the SearchWiki will have no impact on the Page Ranking of the web pages. If you put your own site in the 1st position for your primary keywords, you’re the only Google user who’ll see your site at the top of the rankings. Your site will, however, be included when users click the “See all notes for this SearchWiki” link at the bottom of the page; that link leads to another page that shows what results other users have re-ordered, removed, or added.
Future Improvements
The massive amount of user data that Google will collect from searchers that use SearchWiki should allow Google to further expand the service’s functionality. You can imagine Google suggesting pages to add when a user removes a result s/he doesn’t like, for example.
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Comments
I am able to get it where i am located (mid west usa) but im not sure if all users are able to see the google searchwiki yet. If not there is a video and some screen shots of the searchwiki at http://www.thesearchwiki.com do you guys think this will fly? do you think it will effect the search engine search results alot from now on?
It’s not available in all languages yet.
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@Witchypoo, this has no effect on the PRs. I do not find any reason why I have to promote my site when it’s only visible to me!
@Suptad, As Dennis said, it’s not available in all the languages and in all the countries. Let me tell you this will have no effect on the PRs in any way….
Thanks for the info. I will use it.
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When ever i want to search anything in Wikipedia, i just add “Wiki” to the end of search term, for example > Google + Wiki. this will give you wiki entries first.
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I’m a little uncomfortable with how dominant Google is in internet search and it’s greed for data.
People seem to have lost sight of the fact that it is not a public service; it’s a privately-owned, American company.
A fellow blogger has gone really done in PR. I was hoping this would explain it. Guess not. I think google just plays silly buggers sometimes.
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