Google "Related" Toolbar - can I block it?

[alika]

As a site owner, I am not in favor with Google showing a toolbar of related searches -- aka MY COMPETITORS!

[google.com...]

Anyway to bust out that toolbar and to prevent it from showing on my pages?

[Robert Charlton]

For those who haven't seen it... the Related Toolbar is a bar that creeps up at the bottom of the page returned when you navigate to a site on the web; it suggests "related" sites.

This happens to those apparently with a Google Toolbar active in their own browsers unless they disable the "feature". While Google suggests in its video [youtube.com...] that Related "is easy to install", in my experience it installed itself when I tried to ignore it.

I haven't yet checked whether it pops up when Google returns it to those who've reached pages via AdWords. (The latter would be a real slap in the face, wouldn't it?).

Yes, it would be nice to know how to pre-emptively disable "Related" in the browsers of others... ie, of those searchers (or surfers) who see get the Related Toolbar when they land on one of your pages.

That said, the feature has its uses, and should provide some hints both to advertisers and site developers about what Google does consider useful and related. I've long suggested, eg, that restaurants are missing the boat by not advertising in Google's results for local movie theaters and showtimes. Google might be similarly suggesting that theater websites are missing the boat by not providing links to nearby places to eat. But Google is not reluctant to fill a vacuum when it sees one, and there are plenty of vacuums to fill.

Personally, the links to competitors rub me the wrong way. I suspect that Google may get a lot of heat for this one.

[alika]

I saw it in my website, even though I just clicked on the Home icon of IE (I didn't come from Google at all).

I can see the benefits for visitors.

But really, I don't mind Google showing my site alongside my competitors in their SERPs. But please, not when the visitor is already on MY site.

It was disturbing. I had to click HIDE FOR ALL sites so I won't ever see it again. But what about the other users?

And since they're now big on usability, the time spent on our sites could even be shorter when your competitors are right there on your page.

I don't mind my competitors being shown on my page via Adsense, as I could potentially profit from it. Take away my visitors, but pay me when you do it. But I get nothing as a site owner from the Related toolbar

I'll say it again: it was disturbing

[tedster]

Seems to me that it goes the other way too - your site can show up on your competitor's site. What isn't clear is whether that results in a wash or if there is something we can do to come out on top of the exchange, even if we can block the display.

[Robert Charlton]

...your site can show up on your competitor's site. What isn't clear is whether that results in a wash or if there is something we can do to come out on top of the exchange, even if we can block the display.

Good points. This suggests that perhaps the wisest course is not turning the feature off in your own browser, but rather keeping it on and seeing what you can learn from it.

PS: I should add that I think this feature will provide Google with some additional sets of "nodes" to study as it charts user behavior in relation to its site and your site... with the choices pre-organized by Google in categories it would like to examine.

I'm wondering if Google's going to be sharing any of the exit data with us via Analytics.

[alika]

Good points. This suggests that perhaps the wisest course is not turning the feature off in your own browser, but rather keeping it on and seeing what you can learn from it.

Very good advice.

I reactivated the Related toolbar. One is a link to a government site, which is not a problem. The other a link to a Youtube video of my competitor.

This shows that I really need to step up on video production as an alternative means of packaging our content.

[m1ghtym0use]

Because this plugin is dependent on an iframe, you can use the CSS stylesheet on your site to make the whole thing invisible.

Just copy/paste this CSS code into your stylesheet:

iframe.grelated-iframe
{
display: none;
}

[gordoni]

Thank you so much, m1ghtym0use