- 12
- Jul
While the title of this post makes most reminiscent of George Orwell’s “1984″ it also fits the tune of the intentions of Google’s eye on searchers. Debates have surfaced throughout the SEO world recently on how in-depth search engines such as Google should delve when monitoring searchers and providing personalized results. In essence, they are simply trying to provide a more personalized set of results for the respective searcher. Some may add that it is an infringement on privacy to monitor a searcher to this degree, but on the other hand, it is currently warranted by the searcher since they must log into their Google account to receive these tailored results. Search monitoring is as old as the engines in that keyword searches are have always been tracked and are an essential analytical tool for search marketers targeting keyword phrases for an SEO program.
Recently, a new emergence of behavioral marketing has come to light with a focus on Google’s patent application for behavioral profiling of searchers. Basically, anytime a searcher engages in text interaction through chat or game play, the dialogue is psychologically analyzed by the engine and evaluated to obtain certain psychological characteristics. From there the engine then delivers advertising to the pages that are targeted especially to the behavior of the respective searcher. Some may see this as a great service to searchers as relevant advertising is then delivered to an individual’s page, but others may likely see this as another invasion of privacy as you are personally and unknowingly being evaluated by a robot. It sounds to me like it will be accepted as well as the Patriot Act was, because everyone loves being watched and having their phone calls eavesdropped.
From another standpoint, this is a search advertiser’s dream – the ability to undeniably target the most qualified lead. Another point worthy of noting on this issue is that Google has developed such a large following that there is little risk of user abandonment. After all, Google rules the search engine landscape. Google simply controls so much of the online search market share that many will feel inclined to accept this form of search monitoring.
Google is not, however, the first engine to bring behavioral targeting into the search sphere. Yahoo and MSN have offered advertisers the ability to daypart ads as well as target searchers demographically and geographically. However, Google has most certainly surpassed others within the realm of search behavioral marketing. We have come from tracking an unidentified searcher’s typed keyword to the psychoanalysis of how one interacts on the Internet as a tool for search marketing. So for everyone out there in support of personalized search, you must ask yourself: How personal will we allow search to be?