Wow... it's fast. It's simple. It works. Google Blog Search, which launched yesterday in beta, is the hottest new blogging tool to be released for us non-techie* types. Why? Two reasons: it's simple and quick. It instantly returns lots of results when you type in keywords related to blogs you're looking for. More results than I've found on similar searches on Technorati or Blogpulse.
And second, because it searches on RSS feeds. If your blog or site has a feed, Google will, er, google it. If you don't have a feed... you're outta luck. You won't be found.
This is significant. RSS** is key to Web 2.0. The next generation of the Web is all about user-generated content (what blogs are), sharing, collaboration and the ability to organize and manage the overflow of information. RSS will be seamlessly integrated into Internet Explorer 7.0 (now in beta). And, I predict, even better integrated with new releases of Firefox and Safari. The term RSS may fade away to be replaced by "Web feed." So don't worry if the acronym leaves you cold.
* The techies are quibbling with the technology behind Google Blog Search. Because a lot of RSS feeds only contain the "summary" of a recent blog entry, Google's blog search algorithm is missing stuff that's deeper down in the full version of a blog post. Also, it's not based on number of incoming links. Finally, the Google blog search tool omits a lot of the (admittedly cool) bells and whistles offered by Technorati and Blogpulse. (Like the top 100 and trend graphs.)
** RSS is a way to get news updates from a site or blog without using email. Most blogs offer an RSS feed. You subscribe to the feeds you're interested in. And receive the updates - often just the headline and a summary - through a news reader. This can be Web-based or a little application you download to your desktop. RSS readers are also incorporated into some Web browsers. (See above.)
Useful Links
Ask Dave Taylor's Q & A on How to Use Google Blog Search
Anil Dash on Google's Blog Search Launch
Forrester's Charlene Li on Google vs. Technorati, etc.
RSS 101: "Really Simple" 5-Step Guide to Get Started
RSS a Pillar of Microsoft Strategy
On a side note
Colleague and friend Aimee Kessler Evans is Blogger of the Day. Cool... go Aimee!
The jury's out on Google's latest world domination effort. Obviously, some will love it, some will hate it, but it's certainly the next step in the evolution of the blogosphere.
Googles definitely given itself the advantage here. Besides hosting the most popular blog app for the average joe, they've now begun quashing spolgs on their servers, and now they've got what's sure to be the most widely adopted blog search engine.
It'll be interesting to see what happens next in this arena...if you start popping your popcorn now, you'll probably be able to catch the next round.
Posted by: Aimee | September 15, 2005 at 04:41 PM
I have a different take. Yes, RSS (or rather site syndication in general) is important. But that's unrelated to the bigger issue: Google Blog Search doesn't work, at least not if you are looking for relevant information. And it lacks the historical base needed to make it genuinely useful.
Based on my tests yesterday, the results put out by this new tool are nearly random, at best two steps away from the information searched for, as detailed in yesterday's critique on my site (linked from my signature below).
I think these problems are fixable, and syndication might be the most scalable approach. But at the moment, Google Blog Search is far from prime time.
Posted by: rebecca blood | September 15, 2005 at 04:54 PM
When compared to Technorati, it's great that Google actually works and by works I mean that it's fast, doesn't hang, and it just results. There's much randomness to Technorati a lot of it I don't get.
Posted by: DL Byron | September 15, 2005 at 11:22 PM
I don't know whether Google will dominate this space, but I'm delighted to see a search engine arrive with a backend technology that makes it fast, fast, fast. Obviously, as Rebecca points out, speed without good quality results isn't very helpful, but I believe we'll quickly see the results evolve since Google already has a track record of "Doing the Google Dance", where they continually tweak and refine their search algorithms on the live site.
In terms of the RSS feeds not containing all the data, that's a decision that individual bloggers make. None of my weblogs, for example, offer a full feed at this juncture.
Great piece, Debbie. Smart analysis.
Posted by: Dave Taylor | September 16, 2005 at 01:59 AM
Granted, google is missing some of the bells and whistles, I'm glad it's here. It's fast, and I know it will improve. I got some quirky results when I tested it, but I found what I wanted.
Google will work the kinks out. I'm glad it's out there. I ilke technorati, but sometimes it just didn't work.
Posted by: Michale McLaughlin | September 18, 2005 at 09:12 PM
I spoke about how Google blogsearch in another wake up call to get Feeds on your site content this week at the Revolutionin PR Technology events. You're right on the money.
http://falkow.blogsite.com/item/102827
Posted by: Sally Falkow | September 19, 2005 at 05:01 PM
Gotta say I love it. So far it looks like google scrapes other sites to find blogs. it owuld be nice if they added a Ping feature.
Posted by: J D Moore | September 21, 2005 at 06:22 PM