Mountain View, California-based Google is letting users of its leading search engine give preference to their  favorite Web sites in a test of a new feature that displays a custom list of search results the Internet giant calls Preferred Sites. The experimental user-influenced search result feature was available Monday to a group of select people logged in to Google Search, allowing added weight to be given to those Web destinations they consider the most relevant, in a test that was expected to eventually become available to all Google users. Lists Of Favorite Sites Could Eventually Play Role In General Google Rankings The changes made possible by the Preferred Sites test were the latest of recent Google moves toward creating a more custom search experience, extending a user-controlled SearchWiki search result ranking and annotation system it introduced in November. "Fill in the sites you rely on the most, and results from your preferred sites will show up more often when they're relevant to your search query," Google noted in the help section of the new Preferred Sites tool that it said would help "search results match your unique tastes and needs." A Google search with the new feature turned on in a user's preference settings in many cases now displays a vastly different set of search results than with a traditional Google query, by favoring results from sites a user has entered into Google themselves or by automatic filtering the search giant performs based on a user's search history when the new feature is activated. With the changes came an increased prospect that not every Google search engine user would see the same search result even when typing in the same query, and the possibility of frustration for those accustomed to passing along links using a method such as "Google it and click on the third result." Some See Feature Leading To Increased Difficulties For New Sites In addition to letting registered Google users specify entire preferred Web sites, the new Preferred Sites feature also allowed them to add only selected portions of online destinations to their list of favorites. A person shopping for a vehicle online might, for example, adjust their Google preferences to favor the display of more results from a user-contributed message forum for vehicle owners than from an entire user-generated review site. The Preferred Sites feature is optional, and Google has provided management tools for adding, editing and  removing preferred sites. When active the new feature displays a text message along with all search results noting that Google is filtering the links shown based on a user's preferences. While most of the functionality of Preferred Sites was also possible using the standard Google Search query box and longstanding methods for excluding or including certain Web sites and key phrases, the new feature rolled out Monday may help bring some of the advanced search techniques from Google's Custom Search Engines program to the average Web user not often inclined to perform Boolean or other complex Google searches. Google said that it could use information gathered from the new Preferred Sites feature to help rank its traditional search engine listings. "If the feature goes live to everyone, people will be able to pick a list of authoritative sites and influence all search results," Google noted in the Preferred Sites help section. Some industry analysts expressed concern that the new features' lists of preferred sites, should they become an important enough factor in how Google ranks Web destinations, could be used as a way for spammers to try gaming the Google search system. Google Moves Closer To User-Influenced Search With Preferred Sites Others worried that the Preferred Sites program could eventually make it more difficult for new Web sites to ever reach many Google users. According to one member of the popular online message forum WebmasterWorld, a community of tech-savvy webmasters and search engine marketers, Google's Preferred Sites program could "stifle diversity in the search results." Another WebmasterWorld member, using the handle "Samizdata" expressed concern over the changes the new Google feature might bring to SERPS, or search engine results pages, a phrase coined by WebmasterWorld founder and chief executive Brett Tabke. "There is something unsettling about giving a boost in the SERPs (albeit personalized results) to 'the sites you rely on the most' -- by definition this must suppress results from sites you don't already know about," Samizdata wrote. "The status quo will be reinforced, stifling innovation," the member added. The favorite Web site lists of users who choose to test the new preferred search feature will remain private, Google said. The search firm was seeking feedback on the new program from users testing it. Related Links :
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