arubicus - 7:33 pm on May 10, 2007 (gmt 0)

Search engines give referrals to Webmasters. And yes, those referrals are a gift

Whoa there pappa...

By the same note our gift to them is to allow them to have a product in the first place. Yep they need SOMETHING to show their users. It is implied that this so called referral "gift" is actually a TRADE for indexing and limited use of content we allow them to have.

Remember that their search is based on what people are looking for. Webmasters and business owners create a value in which increased the breadth of search. As in Chevy creating a make of care which in turns creates searchers for information, parts, dealers, etc. for that vehicle. This in turn creates ever expanding advertising opportunity and revenue for Google. We are the creators of the markets in which Google greatly profits from - even markets where site owners do not elect to profit from such as free information. All for just some eyeballs from their search. So you CANNOT tell me that Google traffic is just a gift when we do so much for the internet marketplace and for them. They organize and profit and expand from what we create.

Now those who create the highest of value (at leas what Google is trying to do) will get the greatest traffic value in return. Not a gift, not a reward, but a trade. A trade for satisfying what searchers are looking for and creating a market so they can profit from advertising on such SERPS.

Think of it this way. Who came first the search engines or the websites. Again we create the market in which search engine leach and thrive from. We create the need to SEARCH. WE create people who want to go online. We create the internet. We gave and continue to give THEM the gift to exist. A little respect and gratitude is all some people are asking.

[edited by: arubicus at 7:48 pm (utc) on May 10, 2007]