Over 1 million UK users already for Google+ and despite not personally having huge social circles that really help demonstrate the correlation on everyday search results, the potential impact is still pretty staggering.  Already by optimizing your profile on Google+, as an individual, your digital footprint can be easily identified by Google. Recommended pages are increasingly visible, tailoring a search that is specific to you. Once those in your circles make the most of their accounts and Sparks are less US focused, then Google becomes less of a search engine and more of a recommendation engine aggregating socially relevant content.

And for brands, how exciting. The pool of data is broadening, with our historical and now social identities swimming together, ready for advertisers to get even more sophisticated with their targeting. This is before brands are even allowed on the platform – a development which is surely just round the corner.