Google Weaves Larry Page's Social Strategy Into Maps, Search

Nearly two years ago, CEO promised social would transform users' experience with Google. Here it comes.

By Sharon Gaudin
Thu, May 16, 2013


Computerworld — SAN FRANCISCO -- It became clear at Google I/O this week that Google is quietly but assuredly implementing CEO Larry Page's strategy to use Google+ to transform the entire Google experience.

Without fanfare and with barely a mention of making products more social, one Google executive after another took the stage during the four-hour keynote at the Google I/O developers conference Wednesday and talked about changes coming to major products like Google Maps and Google Search.

But many of those changes announced the conference focused on making the products more personal and more social. And that means more integration with Google +, the company's nearly two-year-old social network, to weave all things social into them.

"They said it again and again. It's not about the technology. It's about the people," said Brian Blau, an analyst with Gartner Inc. "They can't make it about the people unless they have a social graph to know their people. Google is not about social networking. Google is about apps and services. But they need that social element in them."

That line of thinking follows perfectly with how Page described his social strategy long before the company trotted out its social Maps and Search products at this year's Google I/O.

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