Google - Love it or hate it, it does deliver great results

Google is a bit like marmite you either love it or hate it, but no-one can argue that as an organisation they do really try to deliver the best results for your search criteria and it does keep getting better and better.

I just want to show you two areas that I use a lot in Google to help me find relevant information, the first is called the Wonder Wheel. Now as I am a fan of mind-mapping and rather use this method to organise my life over a list I just love the wonder wheel as it works in exactly the same principle

As you can see on screen my search started with garden design and then as I move to the next link another wheel appears with relevant links that you can chose, and down the right handside are the websites that most closely match what you are looking for. This is such an easy way to hop around the web without losing the path that you followed to get there. Next time you are researching something try looking at Google a different way!

Secondly a bit of a new release is Google's love of real time search. If you are searching under the latest tab (really useful for up-to-date news and views) they have implemented a top links section (where you would normally expect to see the Google paid for listing) For content to get onto the top links section, it has to be frequently linked through tweets, Google Buzz, Friendfeed and other sites. Yet another example of how important Social Search is becoming. So if you haven't encouraged followers to interact with you in the Social circle now really is the time to start!