Google's monopoly hurts small business - DOJ lawsuit

[awexundoh]

@youngdisciple1 Google ranks based on the quality of web content. If it's useful, fresh, relevant, etc it will generally rank very well as it should. If you query "American airlines" it will almost universally rank first since that what the user is looking for. Sure, Delta airlines can pay a bunch of money for a sponsored ad on top but that's how marketing works. It doesn't change aa.com from being the top organic search result.

If you query "best restaurants in Boise" you're going to get restaurants that are highly rated on Google maps interspersed with most popular websites that try to rank restaurants in Boise. Why would you expect anything else? If you want some unknown restaurant to rank well then it either needs to have good ratings on Google maps or enough web content to be considered useful or relevant to the users.

You can't buy your way to the top or organic results.

 

[youngdisciple1]

@awexundoh

You can't buy your way to the top or organic results.

Content and backlinks cost money and time.

Your first example is a branded search so that doesn't really apply.

Google ranks based on the quality of web content. If it's useful, fresh, relevant, etc it will generally rank very well

Its crazy how people reduce ranking to just high quality content without mentioning keyword research. Google can and often does change search intent. Content optimization like clearscope. Technical seo, which has improved ranks just from fixing tech errors.

But keep saying, "just write high-quality content." Meanwhile, people pay the agency im at $250/hr for seo.

 

[researchertony]

@brayden You should invest in SEO in order to be competitive on ANY search platform. It’s just logical.

 

[brayden]

@researchertony I don’t disagree…but the vast majority of small business websites (especially service based) are frankly terrible from a consumer standpoint because of SEO needs.

For example I just had a new website built and was really surprised by the amount of information I was discouraged from including because how much it can hurt SEO.

Obviously there is a balance but overall I think consumers are getting a raw deal when it comes to these matters. Ultimately my point is consumer experience is devalued and a large part is because of Google…but yes to your point Google gets the majority of the blame because they are the largest. It definitely is an issue across the board though.

 

[researchertony]

@brayden I would argue that most small business websites are terrible, full stop. Especially service-based. I do understand what you’re saying though. Probably the best and easiest thing to do is keep an updated and relevant blog on the site, utilizing your key words. You can even get ChatGPT to write the bulk of it for you, though I would strongly recommend editing and tweaking the result.

 

[winning]

@youngdisciple1 Google is great for small businesses. They have free Google business listings (which I use, I owe the success of my service business to them). Obviously they make their money with adverts too. I think in the future it will shift.

 

[shaulhatarsi]

@winning Until they delist you. I know several small businesses who did nothing wrong but had their map listing banned. If you’re not on Google you’re screwed is what the problem is. If Google erroneously bans you, and you don’t spend money with them you’re unlikely to get reinstated.

 

[nanathalieee]

@shaulhatarsi This. Every single person on here who doesn't acknowledge this reality is a making a moot point. Google my business thread reads like a unending list of earnest small businesses who are randomly screwed by being disappeared for unknown (unknowable) reasons. Florist here and it's my personal experience as well.

 

[613jono]

@youngdisciple1 If it's not legal to operate a monopoly how is amazon still operating?

 

[verbum]

@youngdisciple1 Different browser? Like opera? Firefox? No thank you.

What's next 30th best navigation app? Lol

 

[kaiisbae]

@youngdisciple1 As I recall, they guaranteed 25yrs ago you could surf the internet as much as you wanted anywhere you wanted w/o damage to your character . Has all of this changed ?

 

[kaiisbae]

@youngdisciple1 Could it be that my choices in web surfing will get me into hot water w/someone out there ??