Why Google’s “Search, plus your World” Is Doing It Wrong
Google search recently integrated Google+ such that that your Google+ profile always shows up as the #1 result when someone Google’s your name.
In theory it makes sense. Users now have a way to control their search results. And Google+ wins because those people are encouraged to actually use G+ now.
In practice, it’s awkward.
As Google hoped, the new G+ integration made me want to update my G+ profile today. My most recent G+ status update, “Hello,” was posted 2 months ago.
Today I Tweeted and Facebooked something about my recent mountain biking trip, and the resulting poison oak. Lots of nice replies from people on T & F. Figured I’d post the same thing on G+.
Wait!
Do I really want a story about mountain biking injuries being the #1 result when people Google me?
“Hey, I’m gonna look up this guy Philip Kaplan and learn more about him. Let’s see… oh interesting he has poison oak.”
No.
I don’t mind if any of my profile pages from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or even G+ show up first. But I’d rather not have any single status update from these services appear as my #1 most crowning achievement when people Google me.
Instead, I’m encouraged to make a single G+ status update like, “Hi. I’m Philip. I’m 36 and and entrepreneur. I live in San Francisco, CA. I went to Syracuse University, and majored in…… [rest of bio]”
And then leave it that way forever.
