Google would like to be your new best friend. The search engine is working on how to gather so much information about individual users that it could even offer suggestions on how to spend free time or what career move to make.

Eric Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, said this week that being able to acquire more personal data was a key element in the company’s expansion plans. Customised services such as iGoogle, which enables users to personalise their own search page and publish their own content, should be more valuable to individuals. The details gathered about their private lives can be used to sell more accurately targeted advertisements. Since this form of marketing commands higher rates than a more broadly based approach, the initiative makes business sense. Other search engines are working on similar lines.