Google has today launched some changes to iGoogle homepage to some of its users (exact figures unknown). The changes, according to the google support page take 3 major forms.
1. left navigation introduction – the introduction of a left navigation which will show all your gadgets and widgets as well as you favourite links.
2. full page gadgets viewing – if you want to see more information from one of your gadgets you just click it from the left navigation and it becomes full screen on your homepage allowing you more room for expanded text and information.
3. instant messenger functionality – this is the big one, instant messenger functionality allowing you to chat to all your friends who are also using iGoogle.
On tp of these it is also clear to see that Google has changed the format slightly so that there is no longer the need to click the plus sign to see a snapshot of an article, it is automatically displayed in the feed.
So what are the purposes of these changes? Easy, stickiness. in the old format to see a full article you had to leave Google, not anymore, you can see all you need to without leaving Google. Why is that so importnant I hear you ask? Well if your within Google, you going to use Google, the search box is ever present at the top and so if you need to perform a search and you spend all your time on iGoogle who are you going to use? In case you forgot, Google is a search engine and this is where they make their money, just in case you forgot.
The more a portal can keep a user within their realms, to more money they make from them. On top of this Google can all the time gather information on the users and serve them ads and results based on their needs, again making them want to come back for more.
With Chrome, 85% search market share, and now the expansion of iGoogle, Google will be hoping that there will come a day when users are using Google for everything they do online, complete market dominance.