by We all know Google knows everything about us. 
How do you feel about that fact?
If you are logged into your Google account, do you know you can have Google show you a Web History of all your Google searches?
It’s a little creepy. It tells you a lot. Google Web History is a newish feature that isn’t getting a lot of play yet.
Google can remember all your web searches and provide context and analysis of who you are and what you needed. Google Web History can provide a scary look back in time over the course of who you are and what your searches want. You need to be logged into your Google account in order for your Web History to be recorded.
I discovered I was signed in in perhaps a quarter of the time for my searches so not everything was logged. Even if you are logged into your Google account you still have to login to your Web History by re-entering your password:
The first thing you’ll see after logging in is your recent web search history. You can see in the screenshot below my search from this morning on the “Nebraska Electric Chair” that will become tomorrow’s post here in Urban Semiotic:
You can use a handy calendar to click on any day to see your search history in a limited view.
The really interesting information gets returned to you when you click on the “Trends” link. It took Google a good ten minutes to compile my Trends history. The results were fascinating.
You will first see your monthly Trends search activity and then your daily Trends search activity. October is my busiest month. Wednesday is my busiest day. Who knew? Google knows.
Finally, the hourly search Trends activity is most revealing.
I’m in non-search mode between 2:00-3:00am and heavy into it at 6:00pm.
Who knew?
The Google Knows.
If you use Google a lot for web searches, log in to your Web History and share your trends and other information with us in a comment.
We’re dying to know what Google knows about you — but may not be directly telling you — without you first asking!
All reports currently blank! Maybe it takes time to compile them or does not act/report retrospectively.
Hi Nicola!
Wow! Blank! Are you logged into your Gmail account when you do the searches? Is Web History part of your Gmail/Google account setup?
My Trends report took 10 minutes to load. I thought it had timed out, but Google was just compiling all my searches.
Yes I am logged into my Gmail account – in fact I do a lot of my searches from inside my Gmail. It is part of my set up now! I am still using free Gmail – I know you are using the super duper service – maybe this is part of the extra service you pay for? I will give it a couple of days and report back then. I kind of know where the trends will be going though!
Nicola —
What happens when you login here?
I am using my regular old free Gmail account to access the Web History. You can’t yet merge Google Apps for Your Domain accounts with older Gmail accounts.
Creeps! Why do you let them track you like that, David?
Hi Anne!
You’re being tracked on the web right now if you know it or don’t know it. It’s sort of fun to participate in the tracking and then look back to see where you’ve been. It also helps finding a search you did but can’t quite remember.
I know we’re all being tracked. I just hope you didn’t sign up for that. Why invite trouble?
I think I did give them permission to track that info, Anne. It really doesn’t matter to me and since they’re doing it anyway — it’s nice to be able to have access to that tracking.
I hope it isn’t used against you. Or anyone else.
Security is a big issue, Anne. I guess I think of it as I think of the credit monitoring services: You know someone’s watching your surfing and your credit — so it’s good to be involved in the history of your searches as well as changes to your credit — so if anything alarming or wrong shows up you can work to fix it fast.
Update – I get today’s visits – but no previous history and no trends as yet – the information is “temporarily unavailable”.
That is so wild, Nicola! I wonder what’s going on? Please let us know if you start getting deeper results!