Not sure if this has been posted and I copied it from WM. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/personalized-search-for-everyone.html More good info about this here. What this basically means is all the SEO work you have done in the past is just that, the past.
I believe its not affecting the whole searches being done as only a fraction of percentage is actually using the personalized searches. In the future, a possibility maybe but not something to be worried at the moment.
Google are there to find ways to best meet the needs of the searcher. As much as we want them to be, they are not there to meet our SEO needs.
You are missing what is happening. This is going to effect every computer that uses Google. Google is creating personalized searches for EVERYONE you don't have to be logged into a Google account. This means Joe Shome the average web surfer is now going to be getting personalized results from Google and he won't even know it. Every singe computer is eventually going to have a different set of search results unless you know how to opt out of this.
I still don't see what the big deal is. All this means is that if someone repeatedly clicks on a site in the search results, that site will get some extra boost the next time that user makes a similar search. It's the same thing that goes on for signed in users, except it's cookie based now. If someone is searching for a new term they're still going to get the same results they would.
Amazing comments, all noobs jumping on it as if they know it all, no one understands the value and importance of privacy and how it can affect their lives as a whole in future. People who are claiming it is good for seo probably need a brain check, in few days time, all you will see are personalised results, you would need to hookup to proxies to see neutralized results! this doesn't end here, this shall lead to other things which could mean solid slap on face of seo. To get some real sense hit it here http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4037372-1-30.htm
You can always clear your cookies. Personalized search is a good idea for users. It might hurt some peoples traffic, but then again if you have users that find your sites repeatedly it could help your traffic. There's a balance to it. This is nothing compared to the computer specific cookies they're already using for ad serving, etc.
Clearing those cookies, are you serious? so, technically you are going to clear those cookies after each browser session? and will make sure you have a dynamic ip? and switch off personalized search when ever you log into google properties, such as gmail? are you sure avg joe even knows about cookie? why would i want to see content and pages which i have already seen/known? isn't it about freshness and uniquness? you do not value your privacy? you like your life to be controlled? do you understand matrix?
Jin this is why I don't post here much anymore people just don't understand. I thought I would try again but I can see people don't actually read whats going on they just post.
Most of them don't understand and realise whats going on, they don't have their say because they don't know. This is an attitude of an average Joe and google knows it, hence all this exploitation. Just look at their recent inventions, google sidewiki, google dns, personalized results etc etc! Its time to stand up and say no to Gorg!
All it means is if you click a link, google assumes that you like it and gives it a little boost in your personal rankings. The example about recipes they give is actually good. As far as IP, I don't think they're tracking by IP at all. They don't mention that they are. That would have major problems anywhere where a large amount of people share an internet connection. If you want to check your serps, just don't click on your own links when you do it or clear your cookies. The average joe shouldn't really care because it's not like they're tracking his name or anything, just that it's a unique browser.
like some would say that it might just be a fraction of users that this would affect, but could this be a beginning of something that would make SEO obsolete? I wonder...
If you run bogus sites, then yes, you may have a reason for concern. But if you're a hard working webmaster who strives to provide quality information without compromise, then you will benefit. I have been vastly enjoying the improvements