Forum Moderators: goodroi
Those risks, according to Google, include nebulous ones, such as the risk that ``corporate culture'' could change, or more specific risks like spammers who could damage Google's prized search results.
...the stock will be more likely to fall rather than rise after the deal.
Anyone else waiting to buy AFTER the fall? Buy low, sell high!
Separately Wednesday, Google found itself facing a trademark complaint by the owners of a children's Web site called Googles.com.
I wish people wouldn't give this kind of thing the time of day! I just can't see Google being truly hurt by this. And the timing is awfully suspicious.
And the timing is awfully suspicious.
Google Considers SEO to be a Top Threat
A bit OTT, don't you think.
The article says "spammers" are a threat, not SEO.
As I recall Matt Cutts said at PubCon 6.0 that Google likes (ethical) SEO; it makes their results "better".
but a "spammer" in search-engine-speakese is SEO.
Every site in a search engine's index would like to place high in the SERPS. Many sites' financial viability depend on receiving search engine traffic. So virtually every site has an incentive to optimize to some extent.
The Search Engine with the biggest market share and the most traffic to distribute will attract the most attention from optimizers, causing the industry leader to be most susceptible to the manipulation / deterioration of 'organic' search results.
Eventually, it would follow that manipulated SERPS will lead to loss of market share (with some lag before users figure out that that better options exist).
When the market share shifts, the primary focus of optimizers will shift to the new leader.
The only way for SEs to protect their organic search results is to throw more resources at the issue - people, software, etc, which will eat into their margins.
No matter how many resources are thrown at trying to prevent manipulation, there is no way a single company can defend itself from the optimization efforts of the bulk of the SEO community.
So it's almost like the Search industry has a built in equalizer. There will always be the opportunity for new players, operating under the SEO radar, to make a splash, and there will always be natural economic forces giving an advantage to the 2,3,4, etc. players.
This seems to me to be a fantastic phenemonon for the consumer, who will benefit from the competition, and a bummer for would be investors, as a long term 800 lb gorilla would seem unlikely in this particular industry.
To make the comparison to the Browser industry, it is not surprising that the dominant browser is attracting the majority of attention from hackers and viruses. And the incentive for a virus creator pales next to that of the incentive for an SEO.
I wish Google shared your "there is no spam" theory JC. Despite my automated e-mails they STILL won't refer to it as "chaffe" ;)
Eventually, it would follow that manipulated SERPS will lead to loss of market share (with some lag before users figure out that that better options exist).
Only if the manipulation leads the users to disenfranchisement by misdirection. If the manipulation guides the user to viable information or products that satisfy, the SE gains.
Once again, its the color of the hat that helps or destroys.
Personally, I take a bit of offense at being automatically labeled as a "spammer" but c'est la vie...
Google should be paying me for my help, but I work for their competition too! :) :)
Cleaning up SE results is like keeping a city bus on the bad side of town free of graffiti.
AdSense has played a big part in these types of sites.
Of course, without pointing the finger at Google, they have a disincentive to root these!@#$% out.
Hey GoogleGuy - how about a bounty paid to folks ratting on spammers who make you look bad? :) :) Might just save you time and money, and USERS!
Of course people who try to SEO their site to be #1 are the "enemy"....by definition. Also, they have to present EVERY risk by law so potential investors know. Otherwise, they're begging to be sued by securities lawyers once they go public and if they lose market share.
There is a group of people out there putting together every possible phrase typed in G and making a spam page for it.
I think I saw one of these lists of keywords selling on Ebay the other day...
Most or all "spammers" call themselve SEO.
If SEO didn't exist, most high quality sites wouldn't exist either.
Google couldn't even begin to deliver any reasonal results if all they have to work with was what most web developer put out there.
Every search engine that has gone by the wayside has started their own demise by attempting to end SEO.
I shutter to think what Google's SERPS would look like if no one's site was optimized.
Google frowns on SEO for only one real reason - every website that is well placed has no need to spend money with the Big G.
And finally - if you know the Google corner-stone, Google is by far the easiest search engine to optimize for.
-s-
I would like to see it. I am sure Google would like it too otherwise why are they "Google Considers SEO to be a Top Threat"
Old-school search like Google's won't die, but it certainly will not retain dominance.
