Google Chrome to harvest user-data for search algo?

Chrome, Google's new minimalist web browser, is supposed to be faster, cleaner, easier and safer. I've tried it out and it is faster, for certain. Google Chrome gains speed through both minimalism and the use of Google cache data. And of course, it works better with anything Google (Gmail, iGoogle, YouTube, Orkut etc). It definitely has it's selling points. But what did Google stand to gain from launching a free web browser? I suppose it would encourage people to use Google Search, even though users are given the option to make either Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Ask or Google their default search upon installation.

When you install Chrome, you're also given the option to share your data with Google to "help make Google Chrome better." Now I wouldn't suggest that Google is interested in your confidential information. Besides, they already know everything about you through your GMail account .

Google is interested in your web-surfing statistics. With their own web browser, they can do some serious data harvesting, partially to make Chrome better, but I think Google is still focused on their bread and butter - search.

Off-Page SEO has gotten out of hand. Read this.

Chrome enables the user to tell Google what should be ranked. No longer limited to user statistics from search alone (click through ratio, back button searches, etc), now Google can apply the same behavioral data scheme to site-to-site links. They can also use your bookmarks to gauge web importance.

But is behavioral data vulnerable to SEO manipulation? If Google does it right, active SEO could be a lot harder. Google has a lot in it's arsenal. They might log all of the "naughty proxies" out their, as they are typically freely published, thus thwarting bot runners efforts. They already do so with their PPC ads. They can also scan for "unnatural" statistics, as they do with PPC.

Will SEO die? No. I think it will change. Eventually, you won't be optimizing for Search Engines. You'll be optimizing your content for the user, just as Google urged you to do all along.

 

Excellent post, as well as your other one, I enjoyed them thoroughly

Ive been preaching this myself

 

A few months ago Matt Cutts said no data is collected by Chrome and used for altering the SERP.
However we all know that Google collect way too much data and might use it to improve their results.
I avoid applications / services owned by Google as much as possible

 

Maximizationator,

I'd agree with your thoughts on the motives behind Google's launch of Chrome. however, I think the main reason was Google's recognition of the danger presented by Microsoft's Internet Explorer. In the global battle between the big 2 Microsoft owns the desktop and Google the Internet. The fact that 80% of people browse the Internet using Microsoft's product is a critical vulnerability for Google's long term strength.

 

Good point. If Google's chief objective were to channel people to their search engine, I'd agree completely. But they don't set Google search as the default, whereas Microsoft IE sets MSN as the homepage.

 

Apparently Matt Cutts has become quite the spokesperson for every department in Google. He's runs anti-spam, if I recall.

My guess is that as Chrome gains popularity, the data will have more reliability, at which point it may be gradually fed into the algorithm. Of course Google wouldn't openly state that they're going to use your browsing history for anything while they're in the midst of a major product launch.

If they aren't planning on using the data, that would be a mistake in my mind. It is far to valuable. I wonder if Microsoft will use theirs...

 

I guess running a blog and writing about search engine spam only could be very annoying sometimes

IF Chrome gains popularity I really hope people won't prefer it over Firefox.

They should do it because right now Live is just ridiculous.

 

FireFox is the best

 

Wow! some WORDS OF WISDOM here...
Ever since the google webmaster tools came out etc. it was obvious it WAS , IT IS, AND IT ALL WILL BE created for one reason only- to collect all possible data about you.
I knew it 5 years ago I know it now
it's not that hard to figure it out

what else is new?

 

If it's true, it will be a serious violation of privacy. There's no way I would reveal my browsing pattern to anyone.

 

As do I... I tried Chrome just to see what it was like, I stopped using it simply because I no longer trust that they respect my desire for privacy... after a day, I was sick of it's lousiness anyway...

However, I do love google as an SE

 

Firefox is king but Im all in favor of chrome if it gets people off of IE!

 

Google shouldn't develop more services / applications. Even now it's hard for them to handle everything.
Their support is basically nonexistent, everything is a secret, nobody is responsible for anything, etc.
Chrome shouldn't become the next big thing for Google! Someone else should develop that browser.
"Don't Be Evil" is just a geek joke. Nobody believes that garbage.

 

since google brought there browser out i knew they just want to use it as a tool to see how people use google and eventually make people vote on content that is broght to them from google seach

 

That's why you're given the option to share your data. It is completely voluntary.

 

i think most day to day users on the internet are skeptical of the interent and may not want to disclose that info . . . however Gman is a trusted provider

 

Only a small percentage of Chrome users would have to opt in. They would consider the data a representative sampling. The larger the sample size, the more reliable the data. And the more reliable the data, the greater Google will probably weigh it into their algorithm.

 

2 things i dont like about chrome:

1: no pagerank display

2: the fact that it brushes off a bit of the seo we all do with its keyword in url function and individual search features etc...