Google Plus Is Not About Google Plus
Google’s launching its own social network, called Google Plus, and already everyone’s getting fired up about how Google is taking on Facebook, and how Google Plus is a “Facebook killer”…
Google+ is a collection of social networking tools that are all linked through a news feed of friend activity that resembles Facebook pretty strongly, so the comparisons are obvious. And at its heart, Google Plus does compete with Facebook for the time & attention of the masses that are looking to link up with friends, connect & share online. Who will win? Who knows! Facebook has one heck of a head start, but Google has one heck of a pile of cash.
But to me, what stands out is not the social networking aspect, which is more or less a Facebook clone (that’s arguably implemented much better). What really has me intrigued is how the web’s number one search engine will be able to give me a much better and more personal experience than ever before. When I use Google Maps to find a pizza place, or if I’m just using Google to search for a car detailing company, Google’s now in a position to serve me results that are factored by what my social circles think. My friends’ recommendations can be weighed in, right alongside location, browsing history, and all the other things that Google uses to enhance search results.
And Google’s way bigger than just maps and search engines. With YouTube, Google News, etc. they’re in a position to really start delivering some sweet new services that have little to nothing to do with how much time I spend inside their social network. Google Plus isn’t about Google Plus… It’s about making everything Google does better for their most important user – you.