Personalized Search is the New Search

Personalized search is just the new search. Every search is personalized now, no 2 people see the exact same search results. 

For this reason, many people claim that personalized search is killing SEO as we know it. Not true. While personalized search may cause tracking SEO to become more difficult, personalized SEO actually makes optimization easier. You no longer have to be globally relevant where global relevance is not necessary, only have to be the most relevant for the people doing the queries

For some time now, Google has been paying attention to (and using) your geographic location, language and context from previous search queries to deliver the most relevant (personalized) results. They keep track of your search patterns and preferences to learn what you like to see and how you like to see it. But it’s not just Google, all search engines are providing personalized search results now.

Regardless of the search engine you choose, every time you search, that information helps the engines understand what you’re trying to do, or your intent. The more you search, the more they learn. The search engines use that information to tailor-fit your search results and make the searching experience more personalized.

So what’s the tip here for ranking well in these new personalized search results? Just do your best to answer the search query a user just typed in the search bar.

Have you noticed Personalized Search on your Google results? How will this impact businesses and SEO practices for the future?

Big thanks to Grant Heitkamp for pulling this research together.

And to Search Engine Journal for the photo.