Google, Everything's Not Coming up Roses
While most regular readers here at Threadwatch have lost that warm, fuzzy, it's all good feeling about Google years ago, many of the main stream of internet users are still "Googlehuggers". However in more and more boardrooms C-level executives, financial planners, and business strategists are realizing Google's mission statement to organize the worlds information is not only affecting their bottom line, the way they do business, and their ability to remain an organization. In some cases Google has become a "traffic dealer" that business are overly dependent on for a new fix of customers. For other companies Google's "free information" approach has severely decimated their business model, and they are limping along looking for a way to financially survive. Business Week lists 9 organizations who are concerned inGanging Up on Google
Google combatants won't be so easily mollified. Yahoo! and Microsoft have long endeavored to erode Google's lead in Web search. But now Google faces a new wave of restive rivals, curious government officials, and angry human-rights advocates.
While I recently got a lot more face time with some Googlers and found them to be extremely nice people, from a business standpoint I'm still very dependent on Google for both free and paid traffic, and am understandably concerned about the things they are doing, decisions they are making, and in what direction they are moving.
we live in a world where we
we live in a world where we like to cut down the tall poppies.
Which is why in business it is often better to be #2.
think of all the number 2 companies that escape the public wrath.
Worst of all for Google they have been swept to their number 1 on a wave of passionate public support, unlike most other companies who fight their way to the top learning a few hard truths on the way and therefore knowing how to deal with the backlash when it occurs.
As much as I hear people complain Google has 'gone all corporate' I still think they have their personality intact, which is why I can imagine that bad publicity really hurts them on a personal level.
I think their user base is still overwhelmingly strong
Everyone I speak to who isn't in SEO is still surprised to find out that the 10 top results in Google are likely to be manipulated (by the website owners). I think the general public is still pretty happy with them - you don't see much grumbling other than in the higher echelons of the search world. Joe webserver still loves google.
you called one of your
you called one of your webservers 'joe'?
just kidding.
I do agree with you, however Joe websurfer is not the early adopter that put Google onto the big stage. When people who visit sites like Slash Dot or TW start to openly back a new commer (Ask) it may be the start of the end for G's dominance
Yeah, I don't foresee much
Yeah, I don't foresee much pushback from the everyday user. That nice simple box in which you can type everything and anything from [yahoo] to a [10 word long-tail search] is just too inviting and easy to use to give up.
The biggest news in that BizWeek article is that corporate pushback is becoming a bit stronger, with a somewhat broader base, though still probably not enough to overwhelm G's resources. There might turn out to be a few win some, lose some situations that can slow G a bit, but not batter it.
I think what can batter Google is if the PPC bubble bursts and it gets too expensive for many players. As the price per click continues to climb an advertiser is going to need deeper pockets to justify abysmal ROIs as customer acquisition costs. There will come a point where all the cover-your-ass analytics programs will work as well as a cocktail napkin.
And the most crucial tipping point will be when that one big click fraud case hits the news. It's coming sometime. Six months? A year?
Microsoft?
Oh how the times have changed.
When you see Microsoft listed as someone "ganging up on Google" then you know Microsoft has lost their mindshare dominance. Used to be everyone was "ganging up on Microsoft" like Apple, Sun and IBM.
FWIW, most of the whiners should tend to their customers and not worry about what everyone else is doing and they'll succeed.
FWIW, most of the whiners
couldnt agree more.