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The Power of Google
Posted by Ernest Miller on Monday, December 09 @ 07:40:28 EST OpenAccess
David F. Gallagher, a freelance writer and editor specializing in Internet and technology news (and participant in our Revenge of the Blog conference) has written a piece in the New York Times (reg. req.) on the sheer power of Google (Sites Become Dependent on Google). According to one research firm, Google, including its partner sites, controls 75% of search engine traffic. That is a truly impressive number. It would not be much of an exaggeration to say that Google is the gatekeeper for the Internet.

So far, Google has been a benevolent gatekeeper, at least as far as users are concerned, which is the important thing. And, as long as Google remains focused on improving results for users, they will likely remain so. If the following quote is an accurate representation of Google's intentions, then my concerns about such a prominent gatekeeper are lessened:
Sergey Brin, one of Google's founders and its president of technology, acknowledged that Google's large market share can leave Web site owners vulnerable to fluctuations in traffic. But he was unapologetic about Google's success and its emphasis on keeping users happy, even at the expense of Webmasters. "The only reason people come to Google is because it works for them," he said.
Strangely, the article does not mention the lawsuit launched by at least one webmaster whose sites were downgraded by one of Google's periodic updates to their algorithms (PageRank by Judicial Decree? SearchKing Sues Google).

There is also concern that large websites will learn how to game the search engines.

The free ride may not last, however. Ms. Johnson of Forrester says larger companies have been discovering the power of search engines and site optimization. As was the case on eBay when big retailers moved in, search listings are becoming less democratic. "It's going to be more and more difficult for small sellers to get noticed," she said. "The free listings lunch may be ending soon."
While this may be true to a limited extent for retailers, I'm not convinced. Moreover, I think that since Google actually favors small content producers (see, Google and Big Media's New Clothes), this provides an opportunity for small retailers to adjust their websites to take advantage of this phenomenon. Large retailers won't be able to adjust similarly.

In any case, despite my current optimism, Google should be watched closely.

 
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Re: The Power of Google (Score: 1)
by JoeRobins on Monday, December 09 @ 13:54:56 EST
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Bear in mind that if you'd written this three or four years ago, you would have been talking about AltaVista rather than Google. Two years before that it would've been Lycos instead. And a year before that, it would've been Yahoo!, back in the days when they were really just a search engine.

Unlike most web sites, a search engine offers no content of its own, and thus is only as good as the results it provides. Google is on top right now because they provide quick and accurate results. There are always competitors waiting in the wings to unseat them if they start to fail on either of those counts, as has happened several times in the past.

With most software, there is a benefit to the user in continuing to use the same software over time. Cost of new software, varying formats, familiarity (which leads to increased productivity), and other factors conspire to make it more difficult to woo a user away from a preferred piece of software. Search engines, on the other hand are free (no cost for switching), web-based (all HTTP/HTML-based, no different formats to worry about), and all use the same basic rules of operation (no decrease in productivity for switching). Thus, it would be a very minor effort to switch away from Google to a competitor.

You are correct, of course, that we should keep a close eye on Google, since they are currently the dominant player, and we should be sure to be aware if they start to abuse that position. However, should Google fail to continue to provide the quality of service which has brought them to the top, I have little doubt that someone else can and will step in to fill the gap.

-Joe


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Re: The Power of Google (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Thursday, January 02 @ 12:47:39 EST
Sure Watch Google , but watch ms more closely. The most important question to answer here is why is Google so good and so popular? I think most of us know the answer but just don't want to admit it. So while you are at it , driving your cars with the hoods welded shut , (I am sure you have heard that one before)
, think carefully about why the new way of thinking will eventually become "the" way for most technical work. If you can't figure that one out , then you have already been left in the academic dust. To those of you who do know what I am talking about I humbly apologize for my redundancy in writing this.


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