For a Price, Searching for "Me" is More Relevant

We've done it before, and admit it, so have you. You've typed in your name into the Google search box, just to see what comes up. Starting on Tuesday, if you enter just the word "me" in their search box, users will be given an opportunity to create or modify their Google Profile.


To be clear, however, the prompt (shown above) which will appear at the top of your search results, will only display if you are not already logged into your Google account (or Gmail).

Here's what Google says:

To give you greater control over what people find when they search for your name, we've begun to show Google profile results at the bottom of U.S. name-query search pages. These results offer abbreviated information from user-created Google profiles and a link to the full profiles. We've also added links so it's easy to search for the same name on MySpace, Facebook, Classmates and LinkedIn.

But you can't just add a few tidbits. If you do, Google might tell you:

Your profile is not yet eligible to be featured in Google search results. To have your profile featured, add more information about yourself.

Yep, you had to add enough information so Google feels there's enough to add you to search results. Once you do, Google will give you the message:

Your profile is eligible to be featured in Google search results. You can find your profile at http://www.google.com/profiles/xxxx.

Here are some ways to share your new profile with your friends:

• Add it to your IM status message
• Link to it in your email signature

Then you'll see something like the above image when you search for yourself.

But while you can now customize a certain amount of information about yourself, don't forget that Google is getting something out of it as well, something it always wants: more information about you!

And the fact that the profile results appear at the bottom? Whoopee. I look at the top of my search results. So what Google is offering isn't much, and what it's getting is what it wants: more info.