First, what is Searchwiki actually about? Searchwiki gives users the ability to favor or delete a certain search result. You can also leave your comments about a specific result. A great insight with all ins-and-outs (currently available) on Searchwiki is available on SearchEngineLand.com.

Well, now let’s take a look at what Google Searchwiki could, should or wouldn’t bring us:

1. Searchwiki will be disabled after 9 months
   As SEO’s Searchwiki comes to us as a (kind of) revolution. But what will “normal” users think of it? Will they even notice the Searchwiki options, or know what to do with it? Do they even care about “composing” their own search results or do they just want the best result for their query and then leave Google?
2. Google get’s sued for not having an opt-out option
   Currently you are unable to opt-out of the Searchwiki. Once you agreed on using this feature, it’s enabled and hard to disable. This could be really a problem if you make a comment and forget to realize that it will become public automatically. Probably this will contrary to privacy act regulations (I’m no lawyer though).
3. The Indian economy get’s a boost
   Next to the extreme flourishing Indian link building industry, there might be a new opportunity for them; commenting on search results. Offcourse Google will try filter this new kind of spam out, but since Indian link building still seems so to work in some occasions, it will work from time to time to enhance your search comments and therefore will increase your Searchwiki clickthrough.
4. Ranking software becomes worthless
   Who wants to report on rankings that can be totally different from user to user. Nowadays it’s also hard to determine the right rankings, but you still have an indication. When a lot of people use Searchwiki, it’s impossible to know where you rank for a specific user.
5. Now more discussions about paid links, but now about paid comments
   Finally the paid links discussion is over, since links are worth less. But a nice discussion arise, as short term SEO’s will be to manipulate rankings with paid comments. No, I don’t want your link, just comment on my site in Google….
6. Searchwiki ratings will become part of the Google algorithm
   Allthough Google underlines that ratings you give aren’t used in the algo yet, they don’t rule out the possibility that this will change. As search marketers will already know that this is just a mather of time
7. The SEO ball game will change
   As more user input will be used in the SERP’s, the value of current ranking factors will change and will be lowered. Power to the people, but not to the SEO. On the other hand, this will give us new opportunities, since we have a new ingredient we can optimize for. Blackhat SEO’s will have a hard time though.
8. Google will fire manual SERP raters
   This is not caused by the economic hazzle, but users will take over the work that currently 10,000+ (this is an assumption) manual raters are doing. The Google management will probably encourage this in a down  economy.
9. Matt Cutts’ job description will change
   Where Matt is currently primarily reading spam reports and keeping track of the SEO industry, spam reports will decrease in value and the user comments and deletions will replace them. Maybe not as accurate as spam reports, but in a far higher volume.
10. Searchwiki will be a huge success
    This feature was what users always wanted and now they can use the most popular digg, wikipedia, etc… options on their favorite search engine. Google will outrank competitors and increase their market shares in markets where this is still possible.

Some of these scenario’s will become reality, others are just assumptions which will be blown away very soon. But it’s very clear that this new addition to the Google search listing will change the way people use Google and the way you need to promote your business in the organic listings.

As always they are not giving us insights in how to optimize, however this video from “Reid” does give us answers on some long lasting questions.

The quote “We’re actually constantly changing Google’s result page and have been doing so for a long time. And no, we won’t mess with a good thing. You won’t let us.” says almost all.

Find the full post here