Google Experiments with Gmail and Semantic Search

Last May, Google rolled out Knowledge Graph, its first semantic Web feature. It is now testing a similar approach based on the information in Gmail messages. If you’ve ever wanted to get better search results in Gmail, you, too, considering becoming part of this experiment.

So how is it going to work? Google reps say they believe semantic information will lead to better search results and answers to specific questions. For example, as shown here, Google knows, or appears to know, the values of some of George Washington’s attributes, including the fact that Mount Vernon was his home.

It also knows some of the values of some of Mount Vernon’s attributes:

Google will test the use of semantic information in Gmail messages in a trial limited to 1 million volunteers. (You can sign up here).

If you sign up, Google will use information about your airline flights and Amazon purchases that it finds in Gmail messages. For example, it will use the values of the attributes of airline flights like airline, departure and destination airport, and flight date to find things like your “flight to Cancun last year.”

Google’s strategy is  taking baby steps to improve search a little bit at a time.