Google adds celebrity factor to search results

INTERNET SEARCH GIANT Google has caught the celebrity bug and will use its social networking service to let us know what famous people like.

You might think that there is already no escape from the blare of celebrities, and we would agree with you. Now you must contend with the fact that Google will look at what celebrities are saying about products in its Google+ social networking service and apply their words of commerce-dom to its search results.

According to the Telegraph this is likely to involve the Kardashian sisters, who we think are famous just for existing and apparently enjoy the shrine to commerce known as Sears.

The additional unpleasant sounding results will appear under paid for ones, according to Christian Oestlien, Google's head of social advertising, who revealed during his presentation at the SMX Conference that the system is being tested.

"Some advertisers use celebrity endorsement in their ads. This test extends the option of celebrity endorsement to online campaigns," a Google spokesman said.

"We're always testing new ways to make advertising more compelling to our users and advertisers."

The service, which is based on what celebrities like - infidelity, narcotics and shopping for example - will launch in the US first and the UK later. Exciting. µ