Google launches custom tailored search feature

WASHINGTON, USA: In a bid to trump Microsoft's Bing, Google will start to populate individual users' search results with posts that have been shared publicly by their connections on Google+.

The new feature, which works only when users are signed in to their Google accounts, aims to tailor results to individual tastes, the company said Friday.

The idea is if a user posts a note on Google+ about a link--be it to a restaurant's Web site, a news story, or a retail store's site--their Google+ connections are going to be more likely to want to see that site as well.

In a blog post, Sagar Kamdar, Google product manager, offered an example of a contact in one of his Google+ Circles posting a note about a Chinese restaurant in New York City.

When Kamdar searches for the restaurant, a note appears below the restaurant link saying his connection shared a post about the establishment.

"Now not only do I get some great reviews on the Web, I get a review from a friend about a restaurant, with recommendations about what dishes to order," Kamdar wrote.

"This is just the latest step in helping you find the most relevant information possible, personalised to your interests and the people you care about," he added.

In May, Microsoft's Bing rolled out a similar feature that elevates results that have received a "like" from a friend on Facebook. Bing's implementation requires users to be logged in to Facebook.

For both Google and Microsoft, the idea is to mimic the real world, where people often rely on friends for advice before making decisions about products, restaurants, hotels, and more, tech news website CNet.com said.