We’re all familiar with search engines: Type a word or phrase, hit return, (hopefully) find what you’re looking for. Search is an integral part of everyone’s Web experience – it’s literally the gateway to the Internet. But what can we expect from search in the future? For something as utilitarian and ubiquitous as search is, how can it change? Most experts agree that search will get more social and real time, but what that exactly means is still being sorted out. A good starting point though, would be to call it the intersection of information and influence.

Let’s think for a minute about why people search. Most people’s search habits can be broken down into two very general things: basic information and expert advice. In other words, they’re either looking for a phone number, Web site, a picture, or some other piece of basic information; or their looking for how-to’s on more complex issues, like how to install new firmware for their wireless router, or diagnose a problem with their car. Social search can improve on that by adding in a layer of influence to all the information churned up by the algorithms. As we’ve talked about before, influence is a remarkably powerful concept that can shape how we use the Internet and what information we choose to consume.

With social search you don’t just get the address of a restaurant, you get insight in to what your friends think about that restaurant along with it. Or someone’s personal experience fixing their Volkswagen. It churns up people you trust who have authority on the issue you’re looking for information on, along with that information. That intersection of information and influence is a powerful place to be.

For however powerful social search could be, the conversation among thinkers and creators right now does seem to be focused more on the means, rather than an end. Many social search companies are focused more on the core technology and services and not as much on the end user application or benefit. In other words, creating a real-time, searchable feed of your Facebook friends and Twitter feed isn’t terribly useful if it isn’t matched to how people use and interact with information, and what they want out of the information they’re looking for.

It is, of course, a very young space that’s just starting to get figured out, but if the minds behind social search go to the intersection of information and influence, they’ll find a lot of people waiting for them.

Tim

@schigel