Monday 12 May 2008

Google unveils tool to turn websites into social networks

Google has revealed that it will be previewing a new service which will help website owners increase traffic by adding social features for its visitors.

A statement from the search engine giant revealed that Google Friend Connect will allow any website owner to add code to their site which enables them to easily get social features up and running.

Once set up, users will be able to see, invite, and interact with new friends and use APIs to interact with existing friends from social sites on the web, such as Facebook and Google Talk.

David Glazer, a director of engineering at Google, explained: "Google Friend Connect is about helping the 'long tail' of sites become more social.

"Many sites aren't explicitly social and don't necessarily want to be social networks, but they still benefit from letting their visitors interact with each other.

"Google Friend Connect … let people easily connect with their friends, wherever they are on the web, making 'any app, any site, any friends' a reality."

For site owners, the system could help drive traffic, as "people who discover interesting sites can bring their friends with them".

Category: Search Engine News

Technorati tags: search-engine-news google unveils tool turn websites into social networks