4 ms·

Google can also take your website out of their search results, or derank you a lot. That would effectively be a death penalty for many online businesses.

ravenstine 3y ago
Fair point, though The Google's search matters less and less as the days go by. But the difference with websites is that there's always an alternative. If The Google decides your site is wrongthink or their superior AI intelligence flags your site for infringing on your own copyright, there are countless other ways to make your site seen elsewhere. Let's face it, nobody's going to sideload your mobile app without installing it through an app store unless your app is in the position to say F-U to The Google like Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram, and so on. People will visit a website that's been posted on social media or linked on some blog, but they won't download an APK.
- Liquix 3y ago
  >The Google's search matters less and less as the days go by The HN community is well aware that Google search result quality has fallen off a cliff and DDG's results keep getting better. But the vast majority of casual internet users still do (perhaps always will) use the former. The amount of people downloading APKs outside of the play store is as low as the amount of people looking up your business through non-Google search engines.
  - ravenstine 3y ago
    > The amount of people downloading APKs outside of the play store is as low as the amount of people looking up your business through non-Google search engines. Outside of software developers, that's pretty doubtful. Judging by how many non-technical people I've spotted using DDG, I'd bet good money that there are more of them than those who would be willing to install a mobile app outside an app store. Even software developers are paranoid about doing that. Also, the point is that at least your site can be seen even if it doesn't appear on a search engine. A business can post hyperlinks on Instagram, Reddit, Tik Tok, blogs, physical ads, and so forth. There's an option with websites. With apps, there's really no meaningful alternative unless you're a big player, and even the big players have largely bent over for Apple and The Google and their respective app stores. Sorry, the incredibly vast majority of people aren't going to explicitly turn on the Android setting to allow installing apps outside the Play Store and then install an APK off some website, and for iOS this isn't even as practical.
belter 3y ago
But every time the EU tries to do something about it in Europe, it is derided here as stiffing innovation...
JohnFen 3y ago
This is why I intentionally exclude my sites from Google's crawlers. That way, I never grow to depend on Google and don't worry about potential delisting.
datadeft 3y ago
I do not rely on google/facebook for any incoming revenue at all either.

ravenstine 3y ago

Fair point, though The Google's search matters less and less as the days go by. But the difference with websites is that there's always an alternative. If The Google decides your site is wrongthink or their superior AI intelligence flags your site for infringing on your own copyright, there are countless other ways to make your site seen elsewhere. Let's face it, nobody's going to sideload your mobile app without installing it through an app store unless your app is in the position to say F-U to The Google like Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram, and so on. People will visit a website that's been posted on social media or linked on some blog, but they won't download an APK.

Liquix 3y ago
>The Google's search matters less and less as the days go by The HN community is well aware that Google search result quality has fallen off a cliff and DDG's results keep getting better. But the vast majority of casual internet users still do (perhaps always will) use the former. The amount of people downloading APKs outside of the play store is as low as the amount of people looking up your business through non-Google search engines.
- ravenstine 3y ago
  > The amount of people downloading APKs outside of the play store is as low as the amount of people looking up your business through non-Google search engines. Outside of software developers, that's pretty doubtful. Judging by how many non-technical people I've spotted using DDG, I'd bet good money that there are more of them than those who would be willing to install a mobile app outside an app store. Even software developers are paranoid about doing that. Also, the point is that at least your site can be seen even if it doesn't appear on a search engine. A business can post hyperlinks on Instagram, Reddit, Tik Tok, blogs, physical ads, and so forth. There's an option with websites. With apps, there's really no meaningful alternative unless you're a big player, and even the big players have largely bent over for Apple and The Google and their respective app stores. Sorry, the incredibly vast majority of people aren't going to explicitly turn on the Android setting to allow installing apps outside the Play Store and then install an APK off some website, and for iOS this isn't even as practical.

belter 3y ago

But every time the EU tries to do something about it in Europe, it is derided here as stiffing innovation...

JohnFen 3y ago

This is why I intentionally exclude my sites from Google's crawlers. That way, I never grow to depend on Google and don't worry about potential delisting.

datadeft 3y ago

I do not rely on google/facebook for any incoming revenue at all either.