Google SearchWiki

If you have been signed into your Google account you will notice that there are some strange graphics that appear alongside the search results.

Search results with SearchWiki buttons

These are what Google calls the SearchWiki and it give users the power to personalise their search results either by promoting chosen results and hiding and removing others. Using content can be given more prominence in the SERPs by clicking on the arrow. Results can even be flagged is irrelevant and removed from the search results. Such interaction with the search results could prove useful if you believe the statistic that 40% of search queries are repeat queries.

Currently, this facility is only available when you are signed into your Google account and the changes will only affect your personal search results. There is still a possibility for SEO benefit, with the ability to leave comments which others can see.

However, this ability will surely be exploited in an inappropriate way if not controlled in some way, resulting in a spamming bonanza. Google will no-doubt be collecting this data for further refinement to their search algorithm, but given the ease with which can be misused, it is unlikely to place a lot of weight on the data collected.