Brands Vs Ads

[southernguy]

---

System: The following 2 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4971024.htm [webmasterworld.com] by goodroi - 11:02 am on Nov 14, 2019 (utc -5)

---

Just ran across this article much of it is what we already know but has some additional points that make what Google is doing with search much clearer. [seobook.com...]

[samwest]

@southern... I read the article and raced back here to +1 your post, thanks for sharing! This very likely explains exactly what is going on behind the black box curtain. It describes what is happening in my niche "To a T".
They display a hard coded scraper/aggregation site that always ranks in the top three. Naturally the page contains over 10 on page Adsense ads. The same site also occupies the "interesting finds" spot for every query variation...even those queries for which it has no on page SEO phrases or relevance.
You won't find that particular scraper / aggregation site on Bing or Duck...only on Gorg. It's a $#!* show.

As a side note, this also explains why they removed all my images. The images pop off the page and have always been very compelling and clickable. Naturally Google wouldn't want that type of diversion to draw away from their thin, hard coded money makers.

This is what we have, content censored because it is tastier than the garbage Google controls. It's not done every where, but strewn about enough to slant the table in their favor and always in flux so nobody really notices.

I can just imagine the sneaky Googler's plotting this in their algo update sessions...can't you?

[southernguy]

@samwest Even worse, it seems that the results continue to decline and ad placement increases. I thought things were bad enough with the mobile search but now desktop is no better, the chances of anything converting now are slim to nonexistent.

Pretty said its come down to this and the worst part is I no longer know what to do to keep the ship afloat.

[samwest]

@southern... my last resort was to join in and activate auto ads. My traffic is rising but only Adsense is converting. My product is not selling and my Amazon affiliate links are all but dead. Probably since my site is now an ad filled mess. Unfortunately my income has dropped from 500/day to less than 50/day on a good day. At least I make 5/day on Adsense...and that buys a pizza every other day.

[glakes]

The last statistic I saw on Google's search marketshare was 83% on desktops in the USA. So what we are witnessing is a direct result of the FTC and DOJ not doing their jobs. Assuming regulators will continue turning a blind eye to the abuse, we can only expect it to get much worse.

[samwest]

No more blind eye for Google as attorney general's in every state are preparing to write up CID's (civil investigation demands) on the Google's search business and possibly more. This published today: [cnbc.com...]

Now would be a good time to have that "Google Love" Larry dreamed of.

[tangor]

We are also coming into the silly season in the USA (elections) and there's an increasing eye on tech, not just g, getting in the way of the politicians ... nudge the bear and he might wake up and take a chomp!

All of this is g finally revealing intent from all the cash incentive to get folks to play and now that the market is cornered, milking poor Bessie for all she's worth.

Bet you didn't know Bessie is a code for "webmasters", did you?

The other ugly is that unless Bing and DDG get off the g follow along and develop their own paths it is likely the independent webmaster might have nothing left for users to find "us".

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

Merle and Ernie had it right...

[tangor]

Also, g's search merely services their ad business ... and their "auto ads" policy is making sure all sites are plastered these days. This ups things on their end so they can charge more by splitting it a zillion more ways to pull wool over advertiser's eyes, or reduce what publishers might earn...

Wanna bet next year or soon after you will have to pay to be listed in the serps? (That's where it is going, and you will have to do it AND run their ads, too!).

No tinfoil was used in this post.

[tangor]

Other aspect is webmaster desperation? More ads chasing diminishing returns?

[mosxu]

“Wanna bet next year or soon after you will have to pay to be listed in the serps? (That's where it is going, and you will have to do it AND run their ads, too!).“

@tangor

That is the ultimate goal but not many of us will be invited. First the high street stores for them location seems to be important in IOT spectrum.

Brands are getting the traffic now to get use to it and later to be sold to them as a ranking spot. How is that brands paying for they own traffic going to work?

[glakes]

No more blind eye for Google as attorney general's in every state are preparing to write up CID's (civil investigation demands) on the Google's search business and possibly more.

Unfortunately the state's probe largely focuses on Android. Just like the opioid settlements demonstrate, I believe states are seeking dollars rather than wholesale changes within the market. Victims are not really compensated as states take the settlement monies and often move the money around to support other unrelated pet projects that help them get re-elected (ie. tobacco settlements). Regardless, paying hefty fines is a part of doing business for Google and state AGs love the talking points large settlements give them when it is time for re-election. We've seen this before in the USA, where Google pays a fine and makes such minor tweaks to their practices that it has only a negligible impact on their business if at all.

I've long believed organic search results would be used by Google as filler material for queries with limited competition in paid ads. Google has moved slowly enough in this direction to limit a major outcry from businesses, and to a large degree businesses have adapted by paying more for ads that provide diminished returns. Thankfully Google does not have a stranglehold on ecommerce as they do information, though how Amazon abuses their dominance is much easier to witness and is worse than Google in some respects. All of this points to a systemic failure in our nation's regulatory agencies and poor oversight by politicians wanting industries online to self-regulate themselves.

I don't think we will see much change in Google. Organic search results will continue being pushed down the page and off of page 1 entirely. Five to ten years from now we may have to hit page 3+ to see the first organic search result for some competitive queries. Though there will be tipping points for some industries; where the ROI is so poor that advertisers leave Google. The loss of advertisers will impact Google, though I believe they will offset this by using site extensions in such a way that mimics the Amazon crowded SERPS we have seen over the years. One advertiser may have 2, 3+ paid listings on a single page of the SERPS.

Wish I could be more positive, but based on history I don't see any major changes coming in search.

[samwest]

“Wanna bet next year or soon after you will have to pay to be listed in the serps? (That's where it is going, and you will have to do it AND run their ads, too!).“

I had that argument with a know-it-all bartender bar in about 2005 who said there is NO WAY I was ranking on Google without paying. Well, he was right that by trusting Google organic listings, I would EVENTUALLY pay...with the loss of my business. LOL?

[mosxu]

LOL

You pay for those rankings sooner or later