Google+ Loses More Real Estate In Search, Brand Boxes Dropped For Logged ...

Continuing the trend of downplaying Google+ in search results, Google has dropped the display of Google+ elements in brands' knowledge box results for searchers who aren't logged into their Google accounts.

Previously, the Google+ presences of brands prominent enough to rate knowledge box treatment were splashed all over the display on the right-hand side of search result pages. It was seen as a not-too-subtle attempt by Google to promote the now three-year-old social network. Now like Google authorship's display in search, which was killed last month, that's all gone, at least for users who aren't logged in.

Here's what a signed-out user sees when searching for Dell:

And here's how the same search looks for a user who is signed in:

Logged-in users are still served a Google+ follow button and a recent Google+ post from the brand (assuming that it's active on the social network). Although the display for logged-out users doesn't have any obvious link to Google+, the thumbnail logo is pulled from the Google+ account. Interestingly, the logo is also linked to the brand's Google+ page.

The change was brought to our attention by Stone Temple Consulting marketing director (and Search Engine Land contributor) Mark Traphagen, who sees this adjustment as a natural evolution for Google. Google+ will be less in-your-face if you don't use it, and more relevant if you do (and are signed onto Google). As Mark wrote in a post this morning:

The one place where we are seeing Google+ actually being stepped up and made more visible is in personalized (logged in) search. Even as Authorship was pulled out of regular search, we saw a stepping up of Authorship-style rich snippets and elevated results for both people and brands in personalized search.

This further change to move Google+ brand box results to personalized search only seems to be another move in that direction. Google is realizing that social results have the most value when they are truly social: when they are for people and brands you have intentionally circled on Google's social network.

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