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I work for an e-commerce company. This absolutely brutalized our sales until we made significant changes to our layout. I understand that this instance is seen

I work for an e-commerce company. This absolutely brutalized our sales until we made significant changes to our layout. I understand that this instance is seen as a net positive for the end user, but Google should not have the power to force websites to conform to whatever Google decides is the new standard, or become irrelevant. The end user should be deciding what is and isn't worthwhile content, or where to shop, or what have you. Not Google.

mythrwy 9y ago
Not you either. If people come in through Google because they are searching for something and instead of arriving at the content that was advertised in search results, see a content covering popup, that's not really informed decision making. I think Google has legitimate right to rank sites that do this lower.
- weirdstuff 9y ago
  That's more ok for a smaller outfit, but now that Google is abusing their monopolistic market position it's not as ok. Not to worry, the days of the U.S. government busting up monopolies seem behind us.
  - taysic 9y ago
    If users heard there were better results elsewhere though, they would switch from Google. However, it is more likely that by doing this Google prevents itself from being taken over by a competitor that creates this feature.
vm 9y ago
What kind of ecommerce company? I do a lot of work in the sector. Your business is dependent on Google for traffic. You can embrace it and be beholden to platform rules, or you can build a direct audience and brand. The latter is hard but more defensible and there are many case studies to follow of other companies doing this.
golergka 9y ago
As a user, I am deciding to use Google exactly because of features like this and, for example, amp.
criddell 9y ago
Why were you using popups? Don't they annoy you when you are browsing?
dredmorbius 9y ago
Performing as intended.
loco5niner 9y ago
Well, I'm more likely to use Google because of features like this...

mythrwy 9y ago

Not you either. If people come in through Google because they are searching for something and instead of arriving at the content that was advertised in search results, see a content covering popup, that's not really informed decision making. I think Google has legitimate right to rank sites that do this lower.

weirdstuff 9y ago
That's more ok for a smaller outfit, but now that Google is abusing their monopolistic market position it's not as ok. Not to worry, the days of the U.S. government busting up monopolies seem behind us.
- taysic 9y ago
  If users heard there were better results elsewhere though, they would switch from Google. However, it is more likely that by doing this Google prevents itself from being taken over by a competitor that creates this feature.

vm 9y ago

What kind of ecommerce company? I do a lot of work in the sector. Your business is dependent on Google for traffic. You can embrace it and be beholden to platform rules, or you can build a direct audience and brand. The latter is hard but more defensible and there are many case studies to follow of other companies doing this.

golergka 9y ago

As a user, I am deciding to use Google exactly because of features like this and, for example, amp.

criddell 9y ago

Why were you using popups? Don't they annoy you when you are browsing?

dredmorbius 9y ago

Performing as intended.

loco5niner 9y ago

Well, I'm more likely to use Google because of features like this...