Larry Page Interview - the direction Google is headed

[bsand715]

CNNmoney interview with Larry Page Co-Founder CEO of Google.
[tech.fortune.cnn.com...]

"Web search is going through a pretty significant transformation with things like the Knowledge Graph, Google Now, mobile."

[rros]

Develop their own "vacation planner" service such as what Larry just described - maybe confine it to just one kind of vacation holiday to make it more manageable.

A vacation planner is the very tip of a giant iceberg. Depending on the trip, a system simply cannot be conceived. Outside the US, specially in not so stable countries -like emerging economies- conditions are such that most trips may require local assistance in the form of a local agent. I just completed a trip for a foreign couple that would be driving the northern region of a south american country for 30 days, staying in 19 hotels. Just imagine the long distance calls, transferring of funds for downpayments, etc.

A trip like this could easily take months in the planning with questions and changes going back and forth. This one started 8 months ago and my files already accumulated 300 pages. Last email I exchanged was over 1500 words answering inquiries regarding vouchers that implied tax payments on a car rental. No system can answer this. Not even get close to the demands of travelers who now come armed with internet information.

A vacation planner as the one we have on our website is just an initial step in a long, detailed dialogue that will follow. What comes next is a blank page with infinite posibilities... Trips that may become so dynamic that will change by the day according to new input. Input that goes from unanticipated changes that happen at destination to tips of where to change foreign currency in the black market upon arrival. Something that even a local agent may need to re-discover.

Now, if someone only wants to go to Orlando for 3 days... that maybe the equivalent of simple, straightforward searches with "basic" intent. As opposed to wanting to "explore strange new worlds to boldly go where no man has gone before".

[xcoder]

End users are definitely not happy with the "direction" Google are taking.

Check out this Google forum thread:
Safe Search is now MANDATORY for image searches?
[groups.google.com...]

[1script]

So whats Sergi up to these days?

+1, Seoskunk! Back in the day I though he was the troublemaker one, Larry Page was seen as the more coolheaded and measured type. Perhaps because he's couple years older than Sergey. I think he's now a happily married man living the American dream. I'm sure we'll hear from him in the future. People with this kind of cash don't stay in the shadows for too long.

[tedster]

@xcoder, that thread is essentially about a misunderstanding. Yes, there has been a change in SafeSearch but filtering is not mandatory. Here's a more detailed explanation about the change: [seroundtable.com...]

I'm sure that end users looking for adult material will figure it out ;) While there is a lot about Google's direction that we can question, we should always remember that any kind of change is often upsetting.

[xcoder]

we should always remember that any kind of change is often upsetting

Well can you blame the poor souls. They can no longer find what they are (really) looking for. I wounder what this little "change" is going to do to related Adwords keyword bids...

[tedster]

For sure lots of Google changes are pushing sites to consider Adwords who never did before - I know that they are first hand. But since the change you linked to is in Image Search, any connection to Adwords seems pretty remote to me.

[TypicalSurfer]

Hi guys,

Thanks for reaching out!

Please remember we here at Google are perfect, if you are complaining you must be emotionally defective! Please see your therapist before posting and remember that Google will show the most relevant content for the search.

Thanks

[xcoder]

any connection to Adwords seems pretty remote to me.

Well the change will strongly affect the adult industry...image search (in particular) was their "free" gateway to many "free" viewers.... no more! .... Win win for Google and the regulator.... i see more industrie$ coming next...

One more "conspiracy theory" in the huge list of 2012? ... I'll let you to be the judge of that...

[martinibuster]

image search (in particular) was their "free" gateway to many "free" viewers.... no more!

I doubt it's "no more!" to free traffic. People will find another way either by altering their search patterns or seeking a different search engine. Free traffic resumes.

[xcoder]

^ no more *easy* free traffic

[Whitey]

So does Dr Google have responsibility in this "future direction" framework?

[theaustralian.com.au...] ; [telegraph.co.uk...] etc etc

[ I seem to hear offline the term " Dr Google" quoted almost daily now. ]