In her keynote address at the Search Engine Strategies conference, Marissa Mayer of Google highlighted Facebook, the capture of social graphs, personalization, increased mobile usage, and the iPhone.

During her keynote she also talked about the parallels between Google’s Gadgets and iGoogle, and Facebook, which she said is her favorite non-Google product… “There is a similar vein between both programs in that they are open platforms,” and thus get broader distribution, she said. “Anyone can create a Gadget or create a Facebook app.” She said such applications are a “new form of advertising that’s free.”

Mayer likes the way Facebook collects information about relationships between people, including when they met and how they know each other. “The type of information they’re building about the social graph between people is something that is intelligent and will be particularly useful in the future,” she said.

For general Web search, personalization is the future, Mayer said. Ten to 15 years from now search sites will understand more about searchers, where they are located and what their personal preferences are, she predicted.

Mayer said one of the most important data points for improving search relevance based on personalization is the previous query, although Web history and address books could also be helpful “signals” to the search engine.

It is important that the ads are personalized too, she said. The company is looking at changing the presentation of its Universal Search page “to guide users’ eyes” so they can see the results and the advertisements, she said. “My philosophy is that the ads and the search results should match.”

And when it comes to targeting, Mayer added, “For me, search and ads are almost the same.”

Meanwhile, mobile is taking off. This year was the first that Google noticed an increase in the use of Google mobile applications during the summer instead of a dip, she said. Usually Web searches drop during the summer months as people go on vacation or spend more time outside in the nice weather. “You could see people almost switching off their computers and switching on their handhelds,” she said.

Usage of Google mobile apps rose 10 percent each week for the first three weeks in June and saw a 40 percent to 50 percent spike almost overnight after the iPhone was launched, Mayer said in comments after the keynote.

I spent ages contemplating the BaconSalt web site, trying to figure out if it was real or a joke. 

Dave Lefkow, one of the founders and self-described “Bacontrepreneur”, has previously been known as a force in the recruiting world, but not as purveyor of pork-flavored condiments.  Kosher, bacon flavored salt– could it really be?

Well, friends, I can now report that BaconSalt is real, very real– it’s salt with an intense bacon flavor that will permeate your very soul. I dropped by Christian’s desk and tried a sample which still lingers on my taste buds. 

BaconSalt has been featured in the November issue of PC Gamer magazine as well as numerous kosher publications, and is clearly on its way to internet-fueled world domination.  Get in on the ground floor while you can.