Social Search Engines: A New Way to Search

With the rise of the Internet came an opportunity for advertisers to reach audiences via a new vehicle. Then the rise of the search engines gave a different, more targeted approach to the way advertisers could reach a certain segment.

As is a necessity of sorts, evolution leads to opportunity. Social searches emerged on the scene and became a huge trend in 2006, according to David Gilby in a MediaPost article. Social search differs from traditional search engines because it adds human intelligence into the search process, according to the article. This means instead of allowing an algorithm to match keywords, a social search allows a user to connect with a live "expert" on the topic, which produces more useful and relevant results.

This is another big opportunity for advertisers because if a search engine can now pick up on the intention of a search then more personalized product ads can be placed in order to entice individual consumers.