Who Will Be the Next Google?

Great newsletter...and good advice. Your strategy should keep your clients happy for the long run. I learn something new each newsletter.

Here's my question to you, from one seo person to another. Who's going to be the next Google when Google eventually falls? Teoma?

Jim F. Kukral

~~~Jill's Response~~~

Hi Jim, glad you like the newsletter and advice!

Who will be the next Google? Hmm... Teoma is very good, but...

Those of us who've been in this biz for a while understand that search engines come and go; that's a given. I remember the first time I read about AltaVista in my local newspaper. I was so excited to try it to see if it would actually provide relevant results. It did pretty well for those days, but then again, we never really expected much back then! Eventually AltaVista (which was owned by Compaq, who purchased its original owner, Digital) was sold off to CMGI. During the dot.com boom it became a victim of trying to figure out who/what it wanted to be when it grew up. The thing is, if AV had been given a chance to stay "techie," it might still be king today!

Currently, Google seems to be trying really hard to stick to their own techie roots, which is why they're so darn good! They've even found a way to make money with it that doesn't compromise the search results. Plus, they did it all through word-of-mouth advertising. You've got to give this company credit for how far they've come in just a few years. They kind of make me proud too, because they prove that the good guys CAN finish first -- and that if you just keep doing the right thing, good things will come to you.

As I've stated before (in previous articles), the title of Best Search Engine is Google's to lose. The only way I see that happening is for them to royally screw up. That is, they'd have to totally lose their focus on what's important to them and to their users, and instead try to make a quick buck. I certainly see no signs of them doing anything like this. In fact, it's just the opposite. Their focus is on how they can become even *more* relevant, as opposed to more rich. The interesting thing about it (which may or may not be what they planned all along) is that they are able to make money almost *despite* themselves. (I can personally relate to that!)

While other search properties were falling all over themselves trying to figure out more ways to "monetize search," Google quietly developed their AdWords Select program. From what I understand, they're making some pretty decent bucks with it. Plus, they don't have the FTC breathing down their neck for mixing ads into their regular search results. At conferences, they sit at the table with the other search engines and show their disagreement when the others say that paid-inclusion is necessary in today's search world. Obviously, it isn't. By not traveling down that slippery slope, Google has managed to continue to have great, relevant results that keep their users coming back for more.

None of this is to say that there aren't some other really good and relevant search engines out there. I think all of the major search engines right now have much better results than they had a few years ago. And if Google disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow, we'd all still be able to find what we're looking for on the Internet. I have no doubt about that. Personally, I'd probably head over to AlltheWeb. I'm also sure that I could find what I was looking for very easily with AltaVista, AskJeeves, Lycos and possibly even MSN (although that one is iffy).

So why don't I (and others) use those other search properties? Because Google is so simple. Look at any of those other portals. They're covered with words and ads and are one big flashing mess! When I want to search for something I just want to search for something. So I go to Google. If I want to see headlines or find out what's happening in the entertainment world, I might look at the front page of Yahoo or MSN. But for search, I want my Google. This is why word of mouth worked so well for them. Once you've gone Google, why would you go anywhere else? You wouldn't.

Okay then...what's the answer to the question of who will take Google's spot if/when they go bye-bye? Since it's not gonna happen tomorrow, I don't think it's possible to say. It would depend on what Google did wrong in the first place. I don't see any other engine doing anything *better* than Google at this time, so it would be difficult to usurp their position. But as I said, I don't think that someone better coming along will be Google's eventual downfall. It will have to be Google losing their focus and totally screwing up, in my opinion. And right now, they're doing just fine. Talk to me if/when they ever go public!