A survey conducted by AYTM Market Research found that 39 percent of respondents believe Search, plus Your World “seems like a good idea,” while 45 percent said they did not like the idea of their social activity factoring into search results. SEO and social media marketers should note that respondents are not necessarily being driven to Google+ because of the search update.
Google launched Search, plus Your World earlier this week, Brafton reported. The new search feature draws content from the Google+ accounts of logged-in users to provide personalized search results in keeping with users’ overall web presence.
As part of the survey, AYTM asked respondents about their search behaviors. More than 38 percent say they always use Google, while 27.5 percent said they turn to Google more often than not. Just 17.3 percent said they do not use Google, preferring another option for search, and 1.5 percent said they don’t use search engines at all.
Moreover, 19 percent of respondents said they currently use Google+ actively, while 20 percent have an account but are not active with it. The effect of Search, plus Your World on Google+ use may be a positive one, with 8 percent saying they would now use Google+ due to its integration with search results. However, 44 percent said the new feature would not be enough to make them join Google+ or use it more actively.
Brafton recently reported that Google is making progress with its social network in hopes of providing a viable platform for consumers, as well as businesses looking for expanded social media marketing campaigns. According to unofficial Google statistician Paul Allen, the platform recently surpassed 62 million users and expects to reach 400 million by the end of the year.
