Whether you are an SEO, a PPC exec, a web designer, or a business owner, imagine this for a moment; no Google.
What would our jobs be like without Google? Google drives a lot of traffic to our websites; yours too, probably. It also creates a lot of anxiety, a lot of panic, and thousands upon thousands of column inches analysing Google’s behaviour, appearance, morals, good / bad points, and it’s likes / dislikes. Google is like a wayward, glamorous celebrity that likes to keep it’s fans guessing with constant revamps, a la Madonna.
It’s difficult to remember but once upon a time various search engines fought for supremacy; some still do against Google’s increasing monopoly. While web savvy users are more aware of the issues surrounding Google, and sometimes more likely to use other engines, the majority of people find it the easiest and best option for their searches. The search engine has good points as well as bad; it’s important to remember that it’s market share has been acquired through being useful and relevant.
However, it is also important to remember that Google, for all it’s usefulness and the famous motto “Do no Evil”, is primarily an extremely profitable advertising platform. The company is not there to help us advertise our wares for free; it has no vested interest in our companies beyond our PPC accounts and getting users clicking in order to fill their coffers.
It’s devastating when an update affects your site, even briefly, especially as Google use a sledgehammer rather than scalpel approach.
But like a celebrity, or a sweet sixteener, it’s not about the people that support their ad revenues, or the people who have poured money and time into catering to the desires of a capricious demi-god. It’s all about Google.
Their business model is one where an organic, useful service is used as bait to draw in advertising revenue. In line with this, their algorithmic updates reward websites that follow the same model, along with bonuses for providing a good search experience that encourages people to use Google’s search engine, thus earning Google more money.
And that is all that matters to them. In the wake of penguin, some webmasters have discussed suing Google. A case that tried that failed, and I think any subsequent attempts would also fail.
We need to think about optimisation outside of Google; we cannot work in a world where every update leaves us shaking in our boots. Of course, they control a vast cross-section of the market; but it’s really worth exploring the smaller options and utilising them for all they are worth. Something to ponder.
