Personalized Search is the New Search

All of our Adv420 class mates might know this famous words ‘Google is watching you’.  I do not understand how Google track all of my trace until I read one article from the internet.  Moreover, from this article I got a concept and understood why Google watching and tracking me.  Even I know those reasons, I still have question for those methods are still necessary to us?  Development of technology gives huge benefit and provide convenience to us, however; our personal privacy is not safe on the internet world.  Nevertheless, SEO provides us to better search results.  All of search engines now rebuild and personalized to every single user for providing convenience.  If every search engines do not steal my personal information, I would feel free to say thanks to search engines.

I find it interesting that they use your geographic location to categorize information. I think by collecting information based on what you've searched before is helpful unless your really searching for something out of the ordinary. I've noticed lately on Google that as I'm typing in the search engine it immediately brings up the topic I'm looking for which is great. People like it when technology does the work for them, especially if its targeting what you're already interested in.

I know Google has been using our geographic location, language and context from previous search queries to deliver the most relevant results. Personally I like to the personalized search that we don’t need to put every word. Also, people want to get fast answers in short time. In past, Google didn’t care about specific audience and target market. However, they changed, because now people want to get right information. Even people can forget the products they purchased from websites. They don’t need to memorize at all.

I think this helps people to reach more faster.

I think this is the way search engines should do in the future, people won't like to see the same result over and over. It makes people feel more confortable if google or other search engines knows what "You" will like not what "everybody" like. But I do agree that personalize may kill SEO becuase if eveybody can search for a different result than others, there will be no more SEO. However, companys can make their results on search engines for their sprical target group this way. For example, only people who live in East Lansing area can see my advertising. Marketers will find there target audience clearly this way. 

Thus, I think there are both good and bad part of personalized results. No one can say it is totally good or bad, it depends on how you want to use it, it can be a weakness or a strength

I have noticed the personal search before in google. I think this is a very smart idea with allowing the companies to give the userers a little more based on their searchs while browsing the web. If your a company using Google for advertisments this will perhaps help your company see better results. But what about the privacy issuses? Not everyone likes to be tracked and let people know what they have recently been searching. This could be a good or bad thing I have not yet decided.

I believe personalized searches will be an opportunity for company’s to better target niche audiences. Based on an individual's likes and dislikes, their searches can be better tailored to the websites and advertisements they will actually click on. Due to the personalization of their search, the most relevant websites will appear in the search engine. This will allow companies, that may often appear below their competition, to appear at the top of a user’s search due to a unique quality or the location of their business. 

I don’t think strategy for reaching the highest search engine optimization will change significantly. Companies will, however, be able to tailor their content on webpages and blogs more specifically to target audiences. If personalization is based on location, an individual searching for a Ford car dealership from East Lansing or Detroit would still use the same key terms for their search only they would be more inclined to click on a dealership’s website located in East Lansing vs. Detroit depending on their location. This type of location-focused searching would already be taken care of through the personalization Google or another search engine has provided. Even though companies will still be required to assess their search engine optimization and focus on the most relevant search phrases and key terms for their business and industry, I strongly believe this personalization may actually make reaching target audiences easier for businesses.

As someone who is occasionally creeped out by the knowledge and power that the internet has, I am surprisingly appreciative of personalized searches.  It is incredibly valuable to me to have Google, or any search engine, know my general location - that way when I am looking something up, it will automatically point me in the right direction for my area.  I can only see this positively impacting businesses and SEO.  More quality results will be given to target audiences that can actually use them - if someone searches for "thai restaurants", Personalized Search will give them results in their area instead of Thai restaurants in California (or wherever restaurant website has the best search engine optimization).  I think that it won't complicate creating your own SEO practices and more than usual - just be specific and you'll still get the quality hits that you want, and people will be enjoy being able to find what they're looking for easily!

I have started to notice the personalized search on Google results. I think it is good, and bad at the same time. Its weird to think that what you search is being recorded somewhere, but I guess it is being used in a good way. The first time I realized it is when I googled something it might’ve been a restaurant or something and it automatically highlighted the East Lansing chain of that specific restaurant. I think from a business perspective it will help SEO. It will make results more tailor made. If businesses have to pay for more exposure I think it might hurt small businesses though.

I definitely have noticed how Google and Yahoo have started doing more personal searches. I think it is beneficial. If I am shopping for a used car, I want to find it in Lansing if I can, not in North Dakota. Same goes for parks, beaches, restaurants...etc.

When I visited a friend in Minnesota for a week, already my searches were beginning to be tailored toward Minnesota. I do not think it will affect companies global relevance. If a person wants to find a company far away, they will search for a company that is far away. People are specific in what they are searching for.

The new "Personalized Search" is just surprised me that how a search engine can provide such strong function for users. I was noticed that everytime when I am searching something online, some of the results come to me with localized websites, services or businesses. I believe the new personalized function is good for SEM and SEO because it is easier to target on a certain group of customers who are seeking something "just for themselves". This service may change the environment of SEM and both the service provider and user need to relearn the process and make some change on their SEM and SEO experiences before. I look forward to the new function and hope it will provide a better life to us.

It's so crazy how something that used to be so "mass" has now become so personalized. It's kind of creepy, too. However, although it is mentioned that personalized searches will make SEO easier, I don't quite understand how that would work. I feel like niche companies would want that mix of personalized searches and specific SEO because, well, they're niche and they are looking for specific people. Still, I feel like other companies that are more relevant to the general public would want to be in search results every time, even if it doesn't fit the "personalized" search criteria of that specific person. Unless I am not understanding this correctly? It is a completely new concept to me so I guess I'm having a difficult time grasping the idea. I have yet not even noticed any kind of personalized aspect to my search results.

It may seem somewhat "big brother" for search engines to ultimately track our every move. Despite the quesy feeling this can initiate, I feel it is respected and appreciated. We love to get information and we especially love to get our information quickly & accurately. When I do a Google search & receive a personalized, relevant list of results it is more satisfying. 

Some companies have done a great job  at optimizing their search engine capabilities on a global, generic stage. For these companies there will be necessary adjustments to maintain this dominance. Despite the need for changes, I believe these pages will eventually see improvement in both page visits and customer satisfaction. The companies are now able to relate to their customers in a more meaningful way via personalized search, having the engines do much of the work for them. 

I have never really thought about how sites such as Google use your geographic location in order to make the results for your search more relevant to your whereabouts, but I think that it make the experience of searching more faster and more convienent for the consumer.  I feel like in the future the people that are in charge of SEO practices will figure out even more ways to personalize searches to benefit the consumers and the companies.  

Personalized search will essentially make search engines more efficient and consumers happier.  I am sure that many businesses will be effected by this, but probably only the ones that never really found success in the first place.  If people have good content and understanding of who their target market is, this move will be helping all parties.  SEO practices will become more integrated and there will be less need for companies specializing in the practice.  Hopefully the advancement of personalized search will make the internet a better place.

I think this is awesome for businesses. Just like every new technology we need time to adjust and adapt. My Google always pulls up places that are close to where I live or have visited in the past. I love it, I think it's extremely useful and relevant. Why would I want to waste time typing in my location all the time when Google can be smart enough to know where I want to look. It's just another way technology saves us time and energy. I think businesses will have to pay attention to SEO more closely and make their keywords more location specific. It will make it tougher for them to reach an audience from far away, but if people are looking for something farther away, they will search until they find it. I'm sure that as every other technology google has released, we will learn to adapt and so will businesses. 

For business purposes, I can see how it would be advantageous to not have to worry about staying globally relevant in areas where it isn't necessary. In using Google I have also noticed personalized search results and most of the time they're fairly accurate.  That being said, I have noticed that for instance, if your location isn't correct (they're linked to your IP adress unless you specify) a search for a local food establishment like "jimmy johns" could yield a return in lansing as the first display rather than the three locations that surround campus.  In all honesty, though I'm a huge fan of technology and I do actually like personalized search (when the results are accurate!), that doesn't change the fact that I think it's still just kind of creepy. 

I have definitley noticed personalized search, and in my experience with search engine optimization, it has made it much more difficult to track search engine results pages and rankings. I think the best solution to personalized search from an SEO standpoint is to focus more heavily on local search and reaching much more targeted crowds. This will allow businesses more exposure to specific crowds by appealing to buyers on a local level.

This is extremely relevant to searches being used these days.  Following many others advice including the author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR, David Meerman Scott.  It would be nearly impossible to find him online if one were searching for David Scott.  When he included his middle name, Meerman, it allows anyone to find him quickly.  There are plenty of companies and individuals who are not following this advice and they are getting lost in the sea of people and ideas.  Marketing is unique, so why not utilize the tools that one has in front of them?

As for the personalized search, I just noticed it recently. I don't think it will hurt SEO, but help the company to reach the buyers more directly through better SEO practices. As the last week's topic, the powerful GOOGLE will not put something into uncontrollable situation. The GOOGLE will get more specific and personalized information about the buyers, so do the company who are applying SEO strategy. For optimizing SEO, the companies should adapt some new strategies upon the further cooperation with GOOGLE and getting more information. 

Personalized search makes sense. A search engine wants to keep people coming back, and having this somewhat "psychic" ability is definitely a big draw for users. Companies need to be able to adapt to this type of change and honestly should have seen this coming. If companies continue to have useful information for consumers, they will stay relevant despite the customization. The biggest thing the personalization seems to impact is location-based services, but maybe there's more to it that I haven't noticed yet. On a personal level, I'm kind of split on the idea of the search engine deciding what I want to see. I'm sure it will be helpful in some cases, but I don't want to miss out on any results because some computer program has decided that I wouldn't find them useful. I'm interested to see how far this personalization will go and if I'll actually notice it.

Personalized search is the new SEO.  I believe it cuts down on search time and get straight to the point.  Personalized search will take over SEO in my opinion.  It is nothing more frustrating then trying to search for something and you get a lot of links that do not relate to what you were looking for.  Google has been coming out with innovative things lately.  It has been good seeing that they have more competition with search engines like Bing.

I think everybody who does a search will end up with different search results based on their prior search history. Personalization is going to be "web-wide" using third party cookies and things. A specific example of a search for "java". Some are looking for programming, some are looking for the beverage, and some are looking for travel information. Theoretically, personal search will know that and provide results accordingly.

We can’t search for any term and look at rankings because I can get different results than you for exactly the same query. So that’s going to change a lot. It actually doesn’t matter if you’re logged into Google or not.

I think ranking is dead, in the personalized search, we have to look at analytics, measure traffic, bounce rates, action, etc. SEOs will have to ask themselves questions like: Did I get the conversion I was after? Or did I really deliver on the promise of SEO?

 I disagree that personalized search is killing SEO. I feel that this is only making it easier to optimize. These have made searches more clear and things easier to find. 

I think personalized search, for now, is just as positive as it is negative if not moreso. It's not truly sophisticated enough to know what I like or how I like it, especially when I'm typically only looking for relevant information. Google is not by any means a go-to for shopping or stumbling upon things, I typically just want quick facts - information that shouldn't need to know who I am, where I am, or how I search. The better it gets at reading between the lines, understanding the underlying cause at the root of the search; the better it will be. For instance, location-based searching is helpful... if you're looking for something locally. If I'm looking for "What was Matt LeBlanc's character in Friends' lastname?", it doesn't matter that I'm in East Lansing. If I'm looking for "Drive movie times", it certainly does.

I think personalized search has its pros and cons. On the good side it allows us to easily access content that is most relevant to our own interests. We are seeing ads appear for websites we have previously been to for example. I think this is a cool idea, and it is much better than seeing ads which you have no interest in. However there is a downside to personalized search. I think that too much personalized search may be keeping us in our own unique bubbles. With content being filtered for our own unique search habits, we are less likely to be exposed to new ideas and information. If I am always reading liberal news sites and blogs, when I search for news, I am likely going to be taken back to the sites I already read. This may seem like a good thing, but I am not likely to hear the conservative side of a news story. I think that it is important to be exposed to ideas that you may not agree with, because it leads to a shared experience in society.  

Personalized search is a great feature that people do not even realize is in place for them everytime they search. This personalized search is better for the the people trying to find something on the internet. If your search engine can help you figure out what you are looking for, you will be happier with your search and get what you want. For those search engines already paying attention to personalized searchs are the ones with the competitive advantage. Some people may not like having personalized searches but in the end, I can gaurentee when they find what they are looking for, they can thank personalized search tools. 

For businesses, this should be looked at as an opportunity because the businesses who really need to take advantage of SEO are the small and medium businesses. These types of business will want to focus of local SEO tools. They want people searching the internet to find them, not find someone on the other side of the world. Even though they will have to become better using SEO tools, it will only help them seperate themselves their competitors. My search results should be what I am looking for, unless my search phrase is totally off topic.

I recently have noticed the personalized results in my Google search results.  I have noticed them most often when I am in a search for food.  For example, when I search “Little Caesars” it uses my location to bring up the nearest location.  When I search “Chinese food” it brings up places in East Lansing.  This will definitely encourage business owners to optimize their location to make them come up.   

Personalized search is one of those things that are great in theory yet also great for the conspiracy theorists. I love the fact that when on my cell phone I google something, Google uses my location to find the nearest say gas station. Yet at the same time it worries me that as we saw with the Sony Playstation Network hacking that no matter the size no corporation is 100% hack proof. If one day Google were to be hacked, what preventative measures have been taken? For example is anything being installed to our cellphones that could be used to trace us by hackers? It might sound a little conspiracy theorist but wasn*t Apple being sued for a similar issue not too long ago? If they are only using our past searches, I feel then that will greatly increase the efficiency of hashtags and key words. For example if some were to conduct a search on softdrinks and Google notices they frequently google coke products and dieting, then that could act as SEO and direct the searches with healthy and diet coke products. In theory it seems like a great tool which I am sure I would enjoy to use even more. But the only thing that seems to worry me is the location tracking, I wouldn*t mind opting in when I am looking for services near me, but then again I dont want Google or any coompany for that matter to have constant access to my location. 

Although I think search engines' efforts are a little intrusive to the everyday web surfers, personalized search is a great tool. As an avid Google user, I'm excited to see the new personalized search evolve. As far as this making SEO a little more difficult, that's just the name of the game. The digital world is moving faster than ever and people need to realize that we have to evolve with it. If we don't, we'll get left in the dust.

I am completely behind the new personalized search approach that Google has incorporated in their search engine.  Of course it is better and easier for the user to see what is most relevant for them instead of seeing the same things that a completely different person would see in their search.  Im not so sure that it is the best thing for business and SEO practices for them.  It might be harder if you aren't getting any recognition.  But the geographical aspect is great for those small business that are in good areas.  I like this type of search because it makes it so much easier for me and it is incredibly fast and accurate.

I think that personalized search is great.  I rarely go on Google, search for something, and come out unsuccessful.  Google, along with other search engines have done a great job narrowing down the best results.  The way they can track your location and what you search is beneficial to us as consumers.  It lets us find what we are looking for easier, and gives us the results that we are looking for.  I do think that it makes it a little harder for businesses and their SEO practice, but in the long run is better.  I simply typed in the word ‘sushi’ and a list of restaurants came up near Lansing.  It is a proficient tool that I think is benefiting the advertising world.

I think personalized search results are a great idea! For one, it helps everyone searching for something. We get directed to things that are more likely what we are looking for and of higher priority to us based on our previous searches. For example, I often search crew/rowing related things, so Google will pull up rowing and racing related websites for me. Whereas for someone who does not often search the word rowing, Google may pull up things related to paddle boats in general. This helps me find websites that I am more interested in and helps business owners of rowing related websites get more hits from their target group. The effect that personalized search results should have on search enginge optimazation is 100% positive.

Personally I think that personalized search is extremely effective and I agree that it does make optimization a lot easier most of the time.  One time that it was not useful and made my life a lot more difficult was when I was in Italy this past summer.  I often times tried to search things in Google and because Google used my geographic location, it changed the language and context to Italian and I was unable to change it back to English where I could understand it.  In most instances though I think Google using your geographic location is very beneficial when I'm searching for stores and it finds the one closest to me.

Personalized search is the latest tool being used better target potential consumers.  The first time I noticed Google was “personalizing” me was when I would begin to type in the word phrase for a particular businesses, in this case “Best Buy of Traverse City.” After the initial time typing this phrase in, the entire phrase would come up automatically after only typing in the word “Best”.  Because Google as made it simpler, and more time efficient I believe personalized searches are a great thing.

I'm not really sure why some people think that Google's personalized searches are scary... I'm not a conspiracy theorist, so I'm all for the personalization!  Hell, it just makes life easier!  Isn't that what we all want anyway?  To know find answers as similar to our personality as possible?  It sure is for me.  I love how I can start typing in a search query, and Google finishes my sentences; it was like we were meant to be!  Aside from just finishing my sentences, I'd have to agree with Jenna's comment about how awesome it is that it points out local venues that may be of interest when searching.  To illustrate, today I did a search on the word "Recycling" for work, and a map of all the local recycling centers popped up.  Google's cookies are almost as good as chocolate chip!  To wrap up this cluster of a paragraph, I'd like to make a final point about personalization: I think it may make it hard to locate your target audience from the business perspective, but makes it easier to find what you're looking for from the client.  I say this because, as the student trying to figure out how to navigate and conquer SEO, I get a little anxious, just thinking about finding the right keywords to reach my TA.  On the other hand, just look at our comments on this blog; we like personalization overall because it makes our lives just a little easier.  Thanks for saving the day again, Google!

Hail to personalized search results!  It makes all of our lives so much easier - the consumer & the marketing professional.

According to StatOwl.com, consumers use Google nearly 80% of the time over other search engines to search the web.  This means that we can reach 80% of our potential clients better than ever.   Nearly every company is coming to realize that their customers need to feel special.  They are trying to individualize service as much as possible.  For example, I was at Express the other day, a popular business-casual clothing store.  The fitting room attendant asked my name when she let me in, and wrote it on the outside of the door.  A few minutes later, when she asked how things were fitting, she used my name - she personalized my fitting experience.  For a number of years, many businesses use their client's birthdays to make them feel special, sending special offers with a birthday greeting.  I am sure that you can think of many more examples where a company or business has attempted to personalize your service and make you feel special. Why should search engines be any different?  Really, great news for the consumer.

Sure, it makes the marketing professional's job a bit more difficult for the time being - learning new techniques and making new work habits is always challenging.  But I ask all of you who are currently working in the field - did you really expect for your career to remain the same?  (hint: same=stagnant, stagnant= successful) As marketing professionals, to remain indispensable, we need make these become positive changes to our marketing strategy.

For those of you who are nervous about Google's ability to track your personal information, and 'know too much about you', this website explains just how Google tracks your search history (where the data is stored, how far back into your history Google goes, what searches they use to customize, and how to turn this personalized search service off): Google's personalized search results basics

I have definitely noticed the personalized search engines and love what they have done to my internet searching abilities. I can type, for example, "Toms" into google and it will come up with results for toms liquor store right down the street from me. The capibilities that search engines have with geographic location detection and a persons search history make the web a very powerful resource. Companies who specialize in SEO marketing will obviously be forced to compensate for this power that the web now has. They will have to be more specific with their key words and also make sure to put their location in a prominent place on their website as well as their other social marketing sites. Local marketing has now become huge and since people only get search results for places close to them for the most part, it is now more important than ever to advertise to your core local audience.

I really love how this New Media Drivers License class is bringing things that I never gave thought to to my attention.  After reading this post, I actually went to the Google search engine and played around a little bit just to see how this worked while I was actually conscious of what was going on.  First I just typed in Pizza and to my surprise Dominos came up as the first link to click.  This happens to be my favorite type of Pizza and the place I order from the most; but unlike you, Google already knew that! I then attempted to type in Little Caesars but before I even finished, the information for the one located down the street from me, Lake Lansing, was already popped up waiting for me to click on it.  Personalized search is very beneficial.  I think I'm a perfect example of individuals who may take for granted the tools they use everyday without realizing how dependant they are upon them.  This also shows how developed our technological world has become.  Google, along with other search engines, has managed to figure out how to build a virtual portfolio for every internet user in the world and cater to their needs and wants. With technology, there will always be someone who can figure out how to make things better. In this case how can individual searches be more personalized. If Google already knows this much information about us, its scary to think about whats to come in the future.

I feel like these personalized search results can actually be beneficial to SEO practices in the future.  Instead of looking at the over all picture, it might be good to look at certain target markets for SEO tracking. With this personalization, Dominos for example, can look at a person like myself and see that I happen to come across their link A LOT.  If they were to study my demographics and figure out my age and that I was a college student, this information can aid them in tracking other individuals like myself with the same interests and habits; and not only in my area but near college campus' all over the nation.  I think after this assignment I will definitely have a greater appreciation for type of experience Im able to utilize every day. 

Technology is so smart that it scares me, but amazes me at the same time. I agree with other students, Google has come a long way with personalizing search results. They made searching so much easier and far less irritating with having to sift through page after page. The information you are trying to find, actually finds you thanks to Google using location and past information about you. But this does kind of leave me feeling like someone is watching me and breathing on my neck. I can see how this would worry businesses, they hope that their content will reach everyone, but because of location and what not, they could be losing their chance, since people don't want to look through page after page. For some consumers, a marketers information could show up on the first page, but someone living in another area, or another sex, that same search could be on the 50th page. So I understand why marketers and businesses would be worried and frustrated with Google.

It's crazy when I think back to the early days of Google...or at least the early days of when I started using it.  You had to word phrases in an exact, precise way to find whatever specific website you were searching for.  It was frustrating, and I often would have to look five pages deep in search results to find anything relevant to what I originally wanted.  When I first heard that Google was personalizing searches, I wasn't too happy about it.  It's a weird thought knowing that all this information about you - what you search, where you live, what you like, what you bought, is out there.  Since searches have become personalized, however, I find it so much easier to find whatever I'm searching for online.  Google analytics can take my information from past searches and apply it to my present searches to give me quick and convenient information.  I no longer have to look through pages of web content trying to find the right website; Google does the work for me.  If this is what they can accomplish within a few years, I'm excited to see how much more personalized they can make the searching process!

Personalized search is the new way people find out information. It is important in today's society because people are always looking for the fast answers. At times it can be somewhat creepy considering the fact the internet can basically understand what people are thinking. I believe that consumers have a better undertstanding and enjoy this technology. It is reliable, necessary, and prompt and this is what people expect when they are on the internet. However, advertiser may see personalized search as an obstacle because it is difficult to market products to the right consumers. Im my opinion, this new technology is here to stay and advertising agency need to find a better to get to thier specific audience and target market. 

Although, I do believe that personalized search has numerous advantages for the common consumer, it scares me to think about how much personal information the search engines are getting from each search. If Google really has been using the information from my previous search queries to deliver the most relelvant results then where is all my information ending up? Also I must admit, in the long past of my search history I can just about promise there have been a few I am not responsible for or are no longer relevant to me. Either a friend might have used my account and entered his information or over time I no longer visited the same websites and shared the same interests as before. I know that my fear is nothing to lose sleep over, I mean what is the worst that could happen, right? In the end, the information that you are providing in the search engine will only make the most desired result appear sooner. I suppose that right now at the primitive state of personalized search is concerned there is not much to worry about, but in the future the thought of our identity being stolen through previous search results is not too far fetched in my mind. Great resourse to read though, and enjoyed sharing my point of view on the issue.

 I have noticed this trend over the past year and I do think its a good idea. Personalized searches bring up more relevant links to what I'm searching for and in the end save me time. With personalized searches it helps me to find a business that is close to me rather than one that is much farther away. I do find it a creepy at times because it knows what im searching for or will finish my query for me. I do like the fact that you can disable the personalized search if you want to in order to view normal search results. I find the personalized search to be a a big help for small and local businesses. When I search for something on google it will give the names of small businesses as well as the names of chains. Without google knowing my location I would receive the same search results everyone would get. Without te personalized results I would not be able to find small local business as easily.

I think personalized search is a great idea.  I think it is also very advanced and really shows where we are with technology today.  I've definitely noticed personalized Google search results and each time I search for something Google seems to understand more and more what I'm truly looking for.  For me, this makes my searching on any site more useful because the advertising is usually targeted towards me based on my likes and past searches so I have to do a lot less searching for what I want.  I think that personal search makes it a little harder for other advertisers to reach their target market because they have to overcome these technological advances and create a new way to advertise to their market.  SEO becomes difficult for marketers because consumers/searchers are already presented what they're looking for instead of seeing other search results.  On the negative side of personalized searches, there is a privacy issue.  Sure, these personalized searches are great and convenient, but if they became any more involved or knew too much more about me than I might be worried.  Right now, I'm fine with how personalized searches are today but I would not want them to become any more personal.  In today's society, people are always more concerned with making things faster and more convenient so personalized searches are perfect for today's searching market. 

Personalized search is a perfect example of how the web and search engines are constantly advancing. Your search engine now has the ability to track what you search and grow accostumed to what YOU are interested in, and what YOUR looking for. With personalized search, engines are becoming increasingly knowledgable of my likes and hobbies, Sometimes I wonder if my search engine knows me better than my own friends.   

Personalized search makes surfing the web easier and more effecient not just for consumers but advertisers as well. One cannot refute the fact that personalized search makes web browsing more efficient for consumers. Now when I search on google the results are more relavant and I dont have to waste time jumping around diffrent sites that arent quite what I was looking for.

Personalized search is a great for advertisers because as engines grow smarter and search results become more relevant companies are able to directly reach their target audience more efficiently. People know what they want when they search, wheather they are looking for a specific product, service, or just information, they know what they are looking for. So if search engines can give you the specific result you are looking for more accuratly that is good for everyone, consumer and advertisers alike.