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Your Confidence in Google?

by Legit SEO
15 replies
  • SEO
    • |
For the past few weeks/days I've really started to develop an extreme disliking for Google and the way they do business.

Let's go over the PRO's and CON's of this Fortune 500 business.

PRO's:
#1 search engine in the world
Youtube
great email service

CON's:
-deindex/penalize sites on a whim, without providing any explanation
-worst customer support ever
-constantly changing algorithms and effectively bankrupting legitimate (and illegitimate) business's overnight
-mass banning of adsense/adwords accounts
-dozens of failed products
-hypocritical ("don't post ads above the fold, while we put ads above, beside, under, in between every freaking search result)
the list goes on and on ...

If ANY other company did stuff like this people would be picketing in the streets! The reason they can get away with this is most "normal" people have no idea what is going on. Only us marketers see first hand the uncontrollable behemoth that Google really is.


This post may be a bit extreme, it is 2:30 am here , but all I keep reading about is Google screwing over everybody by deindexing, banning, etc and I feel like there is just nothing we can do about it. Maybe this will get some people thinking, or at least spark some discussion about ways to branch away from Google because basing your business on them is like playing Russian roulette.
#confidence #google
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Coudriet
    At the end of the day, I am happy that Google turned SEO into a real occupation that can still make quite a nice living. Sure, I don't like some of the things that they do. SEO is all about adapting. Besides, the whole SEO thing. I still think that they are a business that still delivers the best search results. You gotta love free services like gmail and Google docs.
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  • Profile picture of the author indybail
    It's not us having confidence in Google. It's Google having confidence in us.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Google has one goal. To provide the best results to match their user's search queries.

    People take it too personal when the way that Google determines that criteria goes against their site.

    As for bankrupting companies overnight? I have yet to see a site get deindexed or have its rankings hit where there was not a reasonable explanation and the fault lay directly at the feet of the owner of the site or someone they hired.

    The reason they can get away with this is most "normal" people have no idea what is going on. Only us marketers see first hand the uncontrollable behemoth that Google really is.
    You are wrong here. The reason they can get away with it is that most "normal" people are completely fine with Google attempting to improve the search results, and in many cases would even applaud the strides they have made to do so. The only people that have a problem with it are marketers trying to manipulate the algorithm unsuccessfully.
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    • Profile picture of the author Leo Wadsworth
      Originally Posted by MikeFriedman View Post

      Google has one goal. To provide the best results to match their user's search queries.
      Actually that's close - but not quite accurate. Google wants to make the most money it can for its shareholders. It gets most of its income from advertisements. To sell ads, you need usage. To get usage, you provide best possible results to match the user's search queries.

      The end result is the same, the path to get there is just a little different.
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      • Profile picture of the author stephenwaldo
        Originally Posted by Leo Wadsworth View Post

        Actually that's close - but not quite accurate. Google wants to make the most money it can for its shareholders. It gets most of its income from advertisements. To sell ads, you need usage. To get usage, you provide best possible results to match the user's search queries.

        The end result is the same, the path to get there is just a little different.
        Ah, you beat me to it. I was going to point out the same thing. I can't find the thread, but I listed out what I think are Google's top 3 priorities:

        1. Money - They want to make bank, no two ways about it. Multi-billion dollar company doesn't get there being gentle.
        2. Brand - They want you to remember GOOGLE. Gmail, Youtube, G+, Blogger, Docs, etc...It's all so they can penetrate more of your daily life, and thus make more money.
        3. Searchers - These are NOT Google's customers, they are its product. It maintains a quality search engine with lots of brand-pushing because more searchers = more advertisers (see priority #1 and #2).
        Anyways, you can dislike Google as much as you want...They're not going anywhere, and if you want to make money with SEO then, well, sorry honey. Ain't gonna happen without the big G.

        Google is just about as concerned, caring and "fair" as every single other Fortune 500 company...In other words, not at all. No matter what Matt Cutts says!

        Capitalism doesn't equal justice, and you shouldn't expect it to either.
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        • Profile picture of the author l@ttemonarck
          Originally Posted by stephenwaldo View Post

          Ah, you beat me to it. I was going to point out the same thing. I can't find the thread, but I listed out what I think are Google's top 3 priorities:

          1. Money - They want to make bank, no two ways about it. Multi-billion dollar company doesn't get there being gentle.
          2. Brand - They want you to remember GOOGLE. Gmail, Youtube, G+, Blogger, Docs, etc...It's all so they can penetrate more of your daily life, and thus make more money.
          3. Searchers - These are NOT Google's customers, they are its product. It maintains a quality search engine with lots of brand-pushing because more searchers = more advertisers (see priority #1 and #2).
          Anyways, you can dislike Google as much as you want...They're not going anywhere, and if you want to make money with SEO then, well, sorry honey. Ain't gonna happen without the big G.

          Google is just about as concerned, caring and "fair" as every single other Fortune 500 company...In other words, not at all. No matter what Matt Cutts says!

          Capitalism doesn't equal justice, and you shouldn't expect it to either.
          This is definitely true. GOOGLE is everywhere, they are trending so fast and its unstoppable!
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  • Profile picture of the author drmadcow
    I actually love what Google has done, but I come at it from a purely white hat SEO. I used to work at Beanstalk SEO as the Director of SEO, and I used to hate people that used link wheels, blog reviews, and all those blackish tactics because they would outrank websites that deserved to rank. All they are really doing is enforcing their guidelines that have been out for a long time.

    That said Google is still so easy to game even with Panda 3.4, you just have to read between the lines. Build less links, but build stronger ones, and make sure at least 50% of your anchor text is related to your brand (your brand, your brand inc, etc). Remember that the latest update only affected under 2% of all queries, and given the number of SEO companies out there than mainly black hats were penalized.
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    • Profile picture of the author Marketing Fool
      You're preaching to the choir here...It's very clear that Google has tossed out their "do no evil" strategy. Anyone who thinks their mission is to "give the best search results" is delusional or just hasn't been paying attention...

      Can't wait for the next search engine to come along and de-crown the king...it's always happened, and now that Google has seemingly lost their way, they've opened themselves up to attack.

      Duck Duck Go maybe? We'll see...
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      • Profile picture of the author drmadcow
        Originally Posted by Marketing Fool View Post

        Can't wait for the next search engine to come along and de-crown the king...it's always happened, and now that Google has seemingly lost their way, they've opened themselves up to attack.
        But will it support Google Glasses? :p
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        • Profile picture of the author Marketing Fool
          Originally Posted by drmadcow View Post

          But will it support Google Glasses? :p
          HAHAHAHA!

          When First heard about Google Glasses, my first thought was "wonder how often they're going to flash adsense ads across my line of sight!"

          But then I thought "hm, hope they don't start flashing subliminal ads!" you know Google, I wouldn't put it past them and their "do as much evil as possible" company slogan ;-)
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        • Profile picture of the author Legit SEO
          Originally Posted by drmadcow View Post

          I actually love what Google has done, but I come at it from a purely white hat SEO. I used to work at Beanstalk SEO as the Director of SEO, and I used to hate people that used link wheels, blog reviews, and all those blackish tactics because they would outrank websites that deserved to rank. All they are really doing is enforcing their guidelines that have been out for a long time.

          That said Google is still so easy to game even with Panda 3.4, you just have to read between the lines. Build less links, but build stronger ones, and make sure at least 50% of your anchor text is related to your brand (your brand, your brand inc, etc). Remember that the latest update only affected under 2% of all queries, and given the number of SEO companies out there than mainly black hats were penalized.
          2% of all queries?? You really believe that?? EVERY keyword I monitor has moved 10 spots up or down. That percentage is absolute bs and I'm not accusing you of making it up because I've seen it posted several times. Don't believe a word that google says, I learned that a long time ago.



          Originally Posted by Marketing Fool View Post

          You're preaching to the choir here...It's very clear that Google has tossed out their "do no evil" strategy. Anyone who thinks their mission is to "give the best search results" is delusional or just hasn't been paying attention...

          Can't wait for the next search engine to come along and de-crown the king...it's always happened, and now that Google has seemingly lost their way, they've opened themselves up to attack.

          Duck Duck Go maybe? We'll see...

          This guys knows what's up. There is no rhyme or reason as to why some sites are ranking now, I've seen bookmarks from .in sites, horribly spun 2.0 sites with 0 backlinks and tons of other ridiculous sites popping up on the 1st pages. If they are trying to provide the "best user experience" then they seem to be going in reverse, and it wouldn't surprise me if that was their plan all along..screw up the rankings so much that people are forced to used Adwords.
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  • Profile picture of the author dracoboar
    Google is like the roman empire once the fanboys pull their collective heads out of their asses google will fall rather quickly.

    As it is if google cant make its social product work it will be an afterthought within 5 years and be solely defined by youtube. The day is going to come when youtube is what is keeping their doors open and probably sooner that most people think.
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  • Profile picture of the author frano5
    The problem with google is that they are unpredictable. Google will drop you pages or remove you from adsense without any warnings. With google, you can go to sleep making $10,000 a month and make $0 the next month.
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  • Profile picture of the author hicksdelight
    Google are their for the average person searching for something (among other things), they are not there for IM'rs whose sole purpose is to manipulate them.

    If you showed an average searcher the changes Google had made, they would say 'yeah, thats look good, nice work'..They're the people Google are there for, yet it's just IM'rs who moan because they make it harder for us to manipulate them!

    Google owes us nothing, if you want to play with them to make money then play it, but be prepared to adapt and make changes when Google changes things that they think will be better for the average search goer, they are there to bring the best results for them, and it upsets IM'rs because their manipulation attempts often come undone after an update, which is what Google wants, then you get loads of people hating on Google, but truth is, Google is going nowhere, because for the average search goer thinks they are the bee's knees and their search engine brand is unstoppable if truth be told.

    If you have lost confidence in them then rank your pages on Yahoo and Bing and be done with Google, bet you don't.

    It's just people who try and swindle them that seem to have the problem.

    Funny that.
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  • Profile picture of the author leorocking25
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    • Profile picture of the author Marketing Fool
      Originally Posted by leorocking25 View Post

      If your content quality is very high which accumulating a large number of traffic i think you have confidence also.
      Nah, that's not true...I've had 15 year old PR5 domains with amazing quality content, thousands of unprompted backlinks (from people who just backlinked to me because they like my site), that used no blackhat seo techniques of any kind get deindexed from Google for no reason.

      There is no rhyme, there is no reason...it's just the whim of some quality reviewer in India who can barely speak english. It's pretty amazing really... but people still buy into that "quality" nonsense.
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