“Should I take Company A’s job offer or Company B’s? Man, Company C’s offer is nice, too. Google, help me! Make important life decisions for me!”
That’s the type of scenario that one of Google’s co-founders dreams of. One day, he wants Google to have enough of your personal information so that the search engine will, essentially, be able to give you important advice based on the database it’s compiled about you. “One day” is still a ways away, however, as Google’s database has about five years to go before it reaches that level of sophistication.
The ultimate goal is to make your search experience so personalized that Google can turn around to advertisers and say, “Look, we know Biggs loves to pop balloons. How about, when he searches for ‘fun time,’ we sell ads for your ‘Alone Time’ brand balloons?” Such specificity would command a handsome premium.