Update: After launching Google plus social networking site, Google have retired Google friend connect on March 21st 2012. I suggest you to create Google plus pages for your Website, as it’s the best and official alternative to Google friend connect.
Its been almost an year I have been using Google friend connect here at Shoutmeloud and in between I have removed the Widget as I was not seeing any direct advantage of Google friend connect in comparison to Facebook fan pages. More over it was taking a prominent spot on my blog sidebar, and increasing load time. The only reason I had to put it back is number of subscriber in Google friend connect . Though It’s not much but anything above 100 is always a good number and we have almost 350 members.
Now here are some good news for bloggers who are using Google friend connect widget on their blog, Google friend connect added more personalize feature recently and now you can make most out of your Google friend connect widget. On the other thought this new personalized feature is useless in comparison to Facebook Fan pages.
According to official announcement from Google team, New features which are added into Google friend connect are
Personalize your website experience
The ice-breaking isn’t limited to your visitors; you’ll learn more about them too. The interests people share make it possible for you to create a more personalized experience on your website in a number of ways:
- Send custom newsletters: The new “Newsletter” section of your account lets you create, send and manage newsletters. And with the help of “Interests,” you can either send out newsletters to all your subscribers, or send out custom newsletters to different segments of your subscribers, based on the interest responses they submit.
- Personalized content gadget: This new Friend Connect gadget automatically presents a dynamic personalized set of links to your site’s content that matches each visitor’s specific interests. Is a visitor learning how to play swing music? Links to articles your site has published about playing swing are presented to him or her.
- Google ads: For those of you who display ads on your website, your Friend Connect account now includes an “AdSense” section that lets you enable Google ad units that are matched both to your site’s content and to the interests users publicly share on your website.
Here is a quick video which will give you more over view of this new features added by Google friend connect team.
I still need to figure out how useful these new gadgets and features are in terms of usage and flexibility. How about you? Are you using Google friend connect on your blog?
Meanwhile you can join Shoutmeloud on Google friend connect from the sidebar.
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Article by Harsh Agrawal
Harsh has written 1206 articles.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
i do think about to bring it out too.. but since that and feedburner the only way to subscribe to my blog i think i will keep it there.. i still don’t think it right time to use facebook fan page since my blog still new..
great new feature btw
Izzat from my opinion you should add Facebook fan page from day 1. This will make sure interested users can easily connect them with your blog.
I still dunno whether I should include Google Friend Connect in my blog now, may you tell me more about its benefits. I find that products created by Google these days are not standing out and significant than before. They should buy already successful products then develop it such as adsense, adword, analytics, feedburner, blogger, youtube etc.
I have recently included facebook fanpage and Google friend connect to my blog.. Hope you guys ll join my groups..
I’m really loving the cool new features introduced by the Google friend connect. I’m already using the Google friend connect comment box gadget as my prime interactive medium to talk with my readers. Moreover, many of my readers are now contacting me personally by using the SEND MESSAGE feature on Google friend connect profile. To send a custom newsletter based on interest is a promising feature( It is free) that I a’m looking for.
Sajitha
I can see your big list of 611 members and no doubt its working out good. Though my suggestion will be expose your facebook fan page more than Google friend connect. I have already written a post on comparison between both of them and is scheduled ..
Harsh
I have one doubt , My google Friendconnect as 134 followers , but its pointing at my old blogspot address after the migration , Any idea if it can be changed to my current blog address or Do I have to start all over again
.
Any ideas ?
Manish
Manish I guess your Google friend connect is associated with Current domain. So all you need to do is add Google friend connect your current wordpress blog by uploading two files in your wordpress directory. Let me know if you have more query.
I am not sure if its assoicated with the current Domain . If you see
http://www.google.com/friendconnect/admin/site/overview?id=04330251922700475449
Its pointing at old blogspot address , also when i add the gadget code in sidebar , its saying some error .
Which files are you talking about which I need to upload . I also saw a 200 members decrease in feedburner count , I think it was counting the google friend connect into that.
please tell me
In detail . I am dumb . Thanks for your Help .. I am just scared that I have to start all over again for that 
Manish
Manish if its associated with your blogspot URL but not your custom URL when you were in blogspot. I’m afraid to say but you may need to configure from scratch. But if you configured it using the same domain (jagoinvestor.com) than you just need to reconfigure it…
Login to http://www.google.com/friendconnect/ and you can see for which site it is configured.
Regards
Harsh
To no degree, this feature is absolute CRAP
yeah .. seems like I have a bad day
. have to change that 
Manish