Why Google search can't get "too good".

[sitetruth]

When "organic" search does its job, and the user goes directly from
a Google search result to a site that can sell the user what they're looking for, Google makes no money. Google gets revenue when the user is directed to a page with Google ads, or when the user clicks on an ad displayed with the search result.

Google's revenue model thus depends upon their organic search not being "too good" when looking for buyable items. A certain fraction of Google's search results must lead to "landing pages" and such to keep Google's revenue stream going. And the contextual ads displayed with search must sometimes be preferable to the organic search results, or no one will click on them.

This is obvious once you realize it. But think about the implications for a moment. I'll have more to say about this later.

[maneetpuri]

Smart review..........

But for new businesses who have their websites just few weeks old on Google or those who have their website not optimized for search engines and would expect to be on top of SERPs for their important keywords which can provide business to them....ahh which is not possible.

But you want business from online users in that period too when your website does not come in top 10 then you can ask Google to prioritize you and which is something Big G can not do with Organic search so he has given you a seprate platform to use for which you need to pay.

So there is nothing like what you think for Google Search.


Cheers!

[rodhull]

I disagree with this. Google absolutely DO want organic search to be as good as possible. The more relevant the search results are for users, the greater the likelihood those users will return and use Google again. The more traffic Google gets, the more ad clicks they will receive.

If people don't find what they are looking for in the organic results on Google, they will leave and try searching on Bing or Yahoo instead. If this happens, Google have zero chance of generating ad revenue.

[jag]

Broad lookup - Google's backbone is organic search and they are improving and balancing with paid results.

Best,

[deanpowel71]

That's great and broad review. Till date i have'nt though about Google search in such a way.

[gobeyond]

Originally Posted by maneetpuri

So there is nothing like what you think for Google Search.

I agree. The problem is that no matter how advanced Goolge's ranking algorithms are, it doesn't go beyond what some people refer as artifical intelligence, which are far inferior than human intelligence.

Google's rankings are mostly based on number crunching, with some user feedback data. The number crunching is limited by the computing power available and by the number of variables that can be quantified. But most human experience and judgments are intangible, which can't be scaled with a number. That is where the problem is.

[rodhull]

Where Google is concerned, limits to computing power simply do not apply. They have constructed their processing & data centres so that they are easily (and cheaply) scalable, and I don't believe their computing power is limited in a way that it is having a detrimental effect on their business, or on their ability to rank sites. Google would not let that happen.

Also, their algorithmic ranking method does have an important advantage over a ranking method involving human review. It's completely without bias. It's also infinitely faster!

[beu]

Safe to say, Google isn't a "traditional" company...

I don't think they are as concerned about paid clicks as they are quality SERPs. Google wants to make the world's information accessible to everyone. Think about it, why do users use Google in the first place and what keeps them from using other engines?

I think quality improvement in SERPs will always be in Google's best interest.....

[rodhull]

Originally Posted by beu

Safe to say, Google isn't a "traditional" company...

I don't think they are as concerned about paid clicks as they are quality SERPs. Google wants to make the world's information accessible to everyone. Think about it, why do users use Google in the first place and what keeps them from using other engines?

I think quality improvement in SERPs will always be in Google's best interest.....

I agree completely!

[deanpowel71]

That's right quality SERP's matters most for Google rather than the paid links.

[GAustralia]

In agreement with site truth. Google could do more policing of the junk sites that provide no/little content and only try to promote Adsense - tighten your standards Google! It would be nice. Yahoo is far worse on this point with their "content network."

Yet with Goolge Maps listings, Goolge does not seem to be greedy. And they are smart because the maps differentiates the service with Bing/Yahoo.

So you want good organic, Adwords, and maps listings.

GAustralia