Google has claimed that it is making search more relevant to web users with the launch of its Social Search tool.
Maureen Heymans, technical lead at Google, and Murali Viswanathan, product manager at the firm, write on the company's official blog that the new offering makes it easier for web users to locate online information from their personal social circle.
Rolled out via Google Labs, the Social Search platform was made widely available yesterday (October 26th).
Following the launch, Google is able to find "relevant public content from your friends and contacts", according to Heymans and Viswanathan.
Blogs, social networking status updates and Twitter messages from one's friends and acquaintances can now be highlighted at the bottom of search results.
"All the information that appears as part of Google Social Search is published publicly on the web - you can find it without Social Search if you really want to," the bloggers add.
Marissa Meyer, vice president of search products at Google, last week welcomed the new tool.
Commenting at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, she claimed that it highlights the "fundamental need for real time information" and shows how her company is committed to making innovative moves in the search industry.
