Google Improves Personalized Search

Google is closing in on personalized search, a feature on the search horizon that will allow engines to better target users and optimize paid search. The carrot for users is a better way to organize their search history. It’s been slow to gain traction and be rolled out, however, because of general privacy concerns as well as normal adoption curve issues.

The latest development from Google has been a trends feature that will give registered users a list of their top searches and patterns, such as most-visited Web sites and daily activity. The information is accessed through a link on registered users’ personalized search pages.

For now the tool gives users a great deal more accessibility to search history than the history and bookmarks features of most browsers can offer, and it can be accessed from any computer. More ways to slice and dice this information will likely be coming soon from Google to further entice users. The more users catch on, the better Google can target them and deliver more relevant ads.

Stay tuned for more developments.