Brands, Stores, Types - Related Searches expand

[MLHmptn]

Just noticing something new beyond the "Brand" related searches. Now I'm seeing Stores & Types in the related searches area just below the given query. Way to expand Google...I like this!

[indyank]

MLHmptn, Do you have a screenshot of this?

[Rlilly]

These "Stores" are almost all major corporations / brands. Another crual example of how Google is squashing small businesses out.

There is no chance now for Mom and Pop business to succeed on the net anymore.

[kaz]

These "Stores" are almost all major corporations / brands. Another crual example of how Google is squashing small businesses out.

It doesn't even link to the major corp/brand but a google page of results for that major corp / brand

more page views > goooooogle

I click lowes for blue widgets and i get epinions as top result in [lowes blue widget] selection/search

[indyank]

It doesn't even link to the major corp/brand but a google page of results for that major corp / brand

They obviously wouldn't link to them for free :) Linking to further google search pages ensures that you remain on google for a longer time. All these extra options means time spent on google and though you only wanted to do a single search, google leads you to do more searches.

But there is another thinking that pops up in my mind. I actually feel that google is giving away something free to brands and big corporates by freely linking to google search pages that will have pages on the same brand.Brands are thus gaining as all doors lead to them. They aresomething like adword link units given away free to brands, indirectly.

[edited by: indyank at 4:57 pm (utc) on Nov 1, 2010]

[tedster]

I think this feature helps the user to refine their query very nicely. And of course, the clicks will be a great source of data about user intention behind short query terms - they are notoriously ambiguous.

[indyank]

Tedster I just edited my post to add something, when you made the above observation. Don't you think that it is more like free advertisement given to brands, though it leads to organic search result pages.

[Rlilly]

@Kaz

My post never said they link. I simply stated that the anchor used are names of large corporations or thier brand names and this inherently is unfair to everyone else.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

And the affiliate onslaught continues, which is expected out of Google since they want the whole affiliate pie...

but

If you own a fan site about anything that can be considered a product you're likely losing traffic by the truckload lately.

[idolw]

They are giving themselves another chance for a click.
They also recently started this "Watch this space" campaign for display advertising.
So their plan is to stop being a search engine and become a target destination for the users so they can sell ads for more. In fact, this last move will be sad as no small business will be able to afford CPM ads.

[seo99]

this is similar to what bing already does.
[bing.com...]

[karter2]

for me, one of the biggest draws of Search engines was to find sites I didn't already know,

trying to become a door way to well known, powerful brands will be an interesting dynamic to observe

Would you keep spending on adwords once you realised that the SE's had already squashed those rowdy SEO's who used to jostle you for the top 5 above the fold rankings ?

hmm

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Would you keep spending on adwords once you realised that the SE's had already squashed those rowdy SEO's who used to jostle you for the top 5 above the fold rankings ?

No, especially since I see a great big map in the right sidebar over the adwords ads that scrolls down OVER the ads when a visitor scrolls the page downwards. What are they thinking?

[tedster]

Maybe they are thinking pretty clearly - I haven't seen any effect on Adwords clicks so far.

On another wavelength, does anyone have any ideas on how Google differentiates a "Brand" from a "Store"?

[karter2]

Early days Tedster :)

[MLHmptn]

MLHmptn, Do you have a screenshot of this?

Yes I do just in case you aren't seeing this yourself now.

similar to what bing already does.

Similar yes, but the results are not from advertisers like was the case with Bing's Cashback program.

On another wavelength, does anyone have any ideas on how Google differentiates a "Brand" from a "Store"?

Ted it's funny because I've seen some odd things with both. In one instance I've seen a store shown as a brand when they certainly are not a brand. Also, not quite sure, but it seems this one store that is not a brand also has adwords campaigns that utilize picture adwords and they use Google checkout. Not sure if either are the reason but just thought I'd mention it.

[briggidere]

On another wavelength, does anyone have any ideas on how Google differentiates a "Brand" from a "Store"?

It could be something as simple as getting your trademarks registered with Google going through the trademark complaint procedures. Or maybe the percentage of domain name (or maybe the name on contact us page) searches vs overall site traffic once a certain level of traffic has been achieved.

[tedster]

For a screenshot, see [seroundtable.com...]

The reason I ask about how Google separates brand and store is just what MLHmptn mentioned - they've got it all tangled. I think I might too; it can get into quite the gray areas.

[indyank]

Who's going to buy their diamonds from eBay? Bit of a shonky suggestion...

saw this comment there...and i have to agree with that...google is becoming a big evil and a search engine isn't supposed to show such favoritism in its organic results...

This gives them more control to make or destroy brands and shops online...and i am hoping that they aren't paid indirectly for this...

[Robert Charlton]

does anyone have any ideas on how Google differentiates a "Brand" from a "Store"?

In the results I'm looking at now, for a search on [electronics], the Brands are manufacturers and the Stores are retailers.

Ditto for [computers], which also returns Types.

The Brands shown are apparently more specific than the branding effect that some of us associate with the Vince algo update.

http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/3854121.htm [webmasterworld.com]

The Vince "brands" belonged to either stores or to manufacturers. They also can belong to niche authorities and to prominent people or institutions. Matt Cutts has in several venues suggested that Vince wasn't about branding, but was about "trust, reputation, authority, and PageRank." But these serps are acknowledging the B-word. To be sure, they're not quite the same as Vince brands, but they seem to carry some weight.

I notice on both the electronics and computer searches, that Google is also returning Place results mid-page, eg...

Places for electronics near CityName.

The Places are not small online ecommerce sites, though. They're all local brick and mortar stores, some small businesses... and some retail outlets for the Stores listed at the top of the page and also ranked for the one word term in the serps.

Where I am, RadioShack gets three listings on the first page for the electronics search, and Fry's gets two. Actually, there are not any small online ecommerce stores on a one-word term like this for quite a few pages down, so you might say that Google is giving a few spots to the small guy in the first page Place listings.

[londrum]

on a sidenote... i see that wikipedia still comes up first for "camera". i can pretty much guarantee that anyone who searches for the term "camera" is not looking for an essay about what one actually is, a la wikipedia.

if google wants to starting pushing brands and sellers, maybe they could start by demoting wikipedia from the top spot of every single search.

[MLHmptn]

Rlilly, did you see the writing on the wall or what?! Notice 1-5 now, is your site GONE?! My sites that used to be anywhere between 1-6 are now 6-11 because we are not a B&M store in every major metro city. I've been scratching my head for a few weeks now going WTH?! Why did my sites drop and why are all these B&M stores in 1-5 SERP's?!

WOW, Google! Way to screw small business!

[netmeg]

Google doesn't care about small business near as much as they do user intent.

[tedster]

Netmeg scores on that. I think it's worth discussing examples on such a general type of search.

I found an interesting counter-example for the search [mobile phone]. Only three of the "stores" have a first page position, and that begins at #6

But we now have two thread on the same topic - that will get hard to follow. So this thread is locked - and the discussion continues here: "Store" Links Now Position 1-5. How can we compete with that? [webmasterworld.com]