Big Companies & Google SERPS

[nass]

Interesting article here (http://www.businessinsider.com/big-media-pushing-google-on-search-placement-2009-3) - big companies throwing a wobbly at Google for not ranking them as highly as they think they should be

[KidsBeeHappy]

There are two issues here. The first is a dodgy one, that big companies should be top, because they believe themselves to be best.

The second, and bigger issue, is that google needs to get a bigger grip on relevancy and authorative sites.

These are not the same issue, and if google treats it as the same, then it will be to the detriment of the web where the assumption is that big names = authorative sites.

With the amount of digital information set to double every 72 hours, or whatever microsoft predict, then this is a big issue, and one where google need to have a proper deep strategy, not a superficial one.

Lets see what they do, i fear they'll take the easy route, and keep the big companies sweet.

[petera]

This blog post (http://sexdrugsandseo.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/new-google-emphasis-on-brands-will-change-the-way-people-use-search-engines/) brings up quite an interesting point - would it really make that much difference if the big companies were at the top?
When i look for something online it's normally because I can't find it offline having looked within the big companies already, or because i'm looking for a significant cost benefit from buying online instead of buying from one of the big companies - notice their web prices very rarely differ significantly from their highstreet prices!
Search engines allow me to find companies that I haven't already considered, who offer what i need. I'll deliberately avoid the big companies online because they don't meet my requirements. If they were at the top i'd look below them. If they dominated the first page i'd look on the second page.

[JustOneUK]

Eric Schmidt and Matt Cutts aren't on the same wavelength yet when it comes to brands (http://www.mybusinessforum.co.uk/website-search-engine-optimisation/679-aaron-wall-wrong-about-brands.html).

What Google has already done though (even if they DO decide to push the big brands) is to incorporate the search PROMPT into the Google.com search bar which (in theory) takes you away from the major brands and into long-tail territory.

[PrettyPaws]

To be honest the big brands with all there marketing £ should be able to get to the top anyway! :rolleyes:

[BeautyScientist]

This blog post (http://sexdrugsandseo.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/new-google-emphasis-on-brands-will-change-the-way-people-use-search-engines/) brings up quite an interesting point - would it really make that much difference if the big companies were at the top?
When i look for something online it's normally because I can't find it offline having looked within the big companies already, or because i'm looking for a significant cost benefit from buying online instead of buying from one of the big companies - notice their web prices very rarely differ significantly from their highstreet prices!
Search engines allow me to find companies that I haven't already considered, who offer what i need. I'll deliberately avoid the big companies online because they don't meet my requirements. If they were at the top i'd look below them. If they dominated the first page i'd look on the second page.


This is very true. When I book a hotel I am looking for an independent review. I am quite happy to scroll through the 7 or 8 pages of Google full up with the automatically generated listings websites until I find one that passes the Turing Test so I can read what a real human being thinks.

[An Oasis]

Ummm the usual boring bit of posturing.

Then in January, Martin Nisenholtz, New York Times Co. senior VP-digital operations, got up at the annual Online Publishers Association summit in Florida, an event closed to the press, to blast both the algorithm and the results presentation on the screen.

Priorities
He'd just run a search for Gaza, which had been at war with Israel since Dec. 27. Google returned links to outdated BBC stories, Wikipedia entries and even an anti-Semitic YouTube video well before coverage by the Times, which had an experienced reporter covering the war from inside Gaza itself.


Search results for "Gaza" on March 20 began with two Wikipedia links, a March 19 BBC report, two video clips of unclear origin, the CIA World Factbook, a Guardian report and, most strikingly, a link to Gaza-related messages on Twitter.



And yet if he ran a news search rather the a website search...I'm home honey!

Be grateful folks, in some industries it would mean your online spend increasing massively and you would not want that?!

[sirearl]

To be honest the big brands with all there marketing £ should be able to get to the top anyway! :rolleyes:

One of the great delights of SEO for me is that one can take on any large brand and beat them.

Money only has a limited effect in the world of SEO.

More so since google has clamped down on paid links.

Its much more important as to how well connected you are.

Lets hope google does not bow to any pressure from the big boys,although I have my doubts as money talks loudest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4685750.stm

As seen in the BMW fiasco ,normally a complete ban.?


Earl

[OldWelshGuy]

Ok here we go, controversy time.

How many people are aware that Google has secret committees that include major brand leaders, others include major SEO/SEM/Social Marketing experts.

These committees openly discuss how the google algorithm, effects, changes plans etc. Some of the 'sercret groups' are the Google Publishers Advisory Committee' the 'adsense online publishers advisory council', the 'Google SEM Advisory Council' and one that has been published openly The' Google Health Advisory Co0mmittee'.

So it IS one rule for one, and a different rule for the little guys. (unless you have direct access to anyone who is part of those committees of course) ;)

[OldWelshGuy]

One of the great delights of SEO for me is that one can take on any large brand and beat them.

Money only has a limited effect in the world of SEO.

More so since google has clamped down on paid links.

Its much more important as to how well connected you are.

Lets hope google does not bow to any pressure from the big boys,although I have my doubts as money talks loudest.

As seen in the BMW fiasco

Earl

And Nike, and Business.com yada yadaa yada.. see my post above :(