Ad-supported search presents marketers with two fundamental problems. First, the core drivers of advertising-supported search engines are NOT ALIGNED with the core drivers of consumer demand — where ad-supported search engines make more money showing more ads on more results, and consumers want fewer ads on fewer results. And no matter how big or entrenched the search enterprise may become, if the core drivers of the business are not aligned with the core drivers of consumers, there’s a problem.
The second fundamental problem is that all search engines are based on secret algorithms or formulas that are constantly changing and no matter how complex these algorithms may be, there are always “hackers” somewhere who figure out how to cheat (“game”) the system to alter search engine results to their(or their client’s) benefit.
It’s happened time and time again to Google over the years, usually with little fanfare and no public announcement. However, in February, 2011 Google publicly announced that it had changed its algorithm to more thoroughly exclude “content farms” (sites with little relevant content but many advertising links). This is of course, a never ending battle (March 29, 2012), as the “hackers” exploit vulnerabilities in (Google’s and other) search engine’s algorithms — the search engines fix them — and it starts all over again. And each time it happens, marketers must change their strategies to adjust — if they can.
While it’s not likely that Google is ever going to disappear, it is clear that the company is facing substantial challenges from social media, apps and consumer misalignment, as the search market has matured.
And finally, there’s one last thing to consider about search. You only search for something when you don’t know where it is. What if you already knew where the most truthful, trustworthy and credible information was located?
The inevitable backlash — FairSearch.org, DuckDuckGo and Ixquick
March 24, 2017 — Why the Google Ad Boycott is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
July 7, 2015 — Google’s Ad System Has Become Too Big To Control
September 18, 2015 — Google’s search business might not be as water-tight as people think it is
February 12, 2015 — Google in Decline — Google Is Facing Death by a Thousand Cuts
June 24, 2014 — Top 5 Search Engines See Search Traffic Drop By As Much As 31% Since December 2013
July 23, 2013 — Google Gets Lowest Score Ever In Customer Satisfaction Survey