After having much of it’s own way with search over the years, and quite rightly so.

Providing a much more sophisticated product than any of its competitors; focussing on delivering relevant results, in the relevant place, at the right time.

It seems Social Media caught Google napping.

Or did it?

We know Google Buzz wasn’t the Twitter beater they were hoping for, Orkut never took hold outside of Brazil, and Wave was a failed attempt at live collaboration. Things may not be what they seem.

Google’s revenue comes largely through search, it also has many other initiatives underway that underpin this. Location based search, being the most relevant in the social space. Many of the new Social Platforms have developed a following, then gone on to seek out a revenue stream, Google has it’s revenue stream solidly in place. It has hundreds of thousands of advertisers just ready to part with more money on the next extension to Adwords.

Google is in no rush to compete

Buzz, Orkut and Wave were just testing grounds for what is to come; it has the resources to observe, the data to analyse. Google can probably better predict social growth, and direction, than any of the dedicated channels.

There was talk of Facebook, with it’s closed shop approach, elbowing Google out of the space, creating it’s own Internet. Let’s face it, people are fickle, and though Facebook is no MySpace, attentions are readily won.

Here enters Google+, no not the recommendation button +1. Google+ is the social platform that aims to answer the weaknesses present in the existing offerings. Combining features and web technology that has been seen in other Google developments.

Is it a Facebook killer?

Not yet, but Google have certainly done their homework. On limited roll-out, and with new features being released gradually, Google+ will be one of the most polished social networks to enter the space. It will also be one of the few to have a built in revenue model, with analytics to measure that all elusive ROI!

What do you think to Googles’ attempt to enter social?