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SEO, SERPS, Is There a Google Search Engine Fairy?

February 25, 2011 · 77 comments

“Google is not your friend
In fact, you are not even Google’s customer.
You are the PRODUCT Google sells to its customers.”
~ Adam Toporek in Google+ and the Illusion of Privacy

Credit for sharing this video @MicalJohnson in Don’t be Evil Google
Mical in turn credits @Ed_Dale who just published
*BOOM* Google Upends Search - I Warned You!

See also Google’s Real Name Policy: Why YOU are the product

Pete from Currency Exchange commented in my Google Monopoly post, writing,

“I must admit I have an implicit trust in Google to deliver authentic and trustworthy results. So long as the company adheres to clear principles and punishes those that manipulate the SERPS I won’t object its influence. Is there such a thing as a benevolent dictator?”

His comment is an excellent example of so many reasons why we are all losing our rights and freedoms every day. This short comment set off so many warning bells in my brain that this post is the result.

“Implicit trust in Google”

This is based on pure and simple PR from continuously being mentioned and written about in the mainstream media in everything from movies, prime-time television shows, soap operas, and major newspapers and news coverage both online and off.

Google’s “don’t be evil” is akin to
used car salesmen saying “trust me”
.

Google Trustworthy? NO:

  • NEW: Google and Facebook accused of bypassing iPhone’s privacy settings to spy on owners to build advertising profiles
  • Google NSA Secret Relationship (Their relationship with both the NSA – U.S. National Security Agency – and NASA)
  • Google CEO Retracts Street View Privacy Joke – Google CEO told CNN reporter Parker that “if she didn’t want to be on Street View, she could just move.” How long are we going to allow companies to claim it was just a “computer glitch” or “innocent mistake” every time they get caught red-handed?
  • EU Google Antitrust Probe – European investigation into Google stifling competition by juicing its search results to favor its services over its rivals”.
  • Google Lets People Block Your Domain – fair enough if you want to block a site for yourself – but those blocks are REPORTED TO GOOGLE. Have you read all my posts about the problems with Akismet blacklisting blogs – not junk blogs – the very best blogs we regularly read? Hello Google Search Akismet! See my CrowdSourcing Failure post for more details on this.
  • Invading children’s privacy by asking for their city of birth and last four digits of their Social Security numbers in order to submit a doodle drawing to a Google-sponsored contest. THAT is Google evil. << Read this <<
  • Google Privacy – they value THEIR OWN but not ours
  • Google pays income taxes of only 2.4% to the U.S. on their income; the average American company pays 28.3% – Does that sound like Google pays taxes fairly? The story mentions Facebook and Microsoft use the same tax loopholes Maybe they learned them from GE – a corporation long famous for paying next to no taxes.
  • Read the post on Tax Justice that includes this quote: “The $3 in my wallet is more than ExxonMobil, GE and Bank of America paid in taxes last year, combined,” said Carl Gibson, founder of US Uncut Mississippi. “There’s a direct connection between corporate tax dodging and what’s happening to real people’s lives. Because of overseas tax havens and other tax loopholes, US corporations are making profits in America but barely paying taxes here. If we close those loopholes, we wouldn’t have to be cutting back on firefighters, library hours and student loans.”
  • Google’s growing undisclosed “conflicts of interest” are baring their teeth
  • Googleopoly: The Google-DoubleClick Anti-Competitive Case

Clear principles? Which principles might that be?

How authentic and trustworthy are Google’s results?

Don’t take my word for it. Read these:

Are those the principles Pete meant?Google Fairy

Manipulating the serps?

We need to get clear on what is meant by that and WHY Google does not want businesses to know how they can be found in the search engines. Is Google Playing Fair? To imply that if you proactively make your sites easy to find that they will Google slap you scares businesses into inaction.

Do you believe in the Google search engine fairy?

NO? Well then you HAVE to actively seek out related links somehow – whether that is by commenting in blogs or using Twitter or Facebook or other Social Media or doing article marketing or asking related sites to link to your site.

If you DON’T take action to make your site easy to find
no one will be finding you in their search engine anyway.

  • Links and the words that are actually linked are one of the ways search engines “know” what is on a Web page.
  • If you build a site that has zero incoming links, how really do you believe anyone will ever find it – no matter how good it is – to give you a link out of the goodness of their heart? Most people are selfish and they do NOT seek out ways to give their valuable time (time IS far more valuable than money) to strangers by linking to them. Yes, some of us DO go out of our way to do that but most people do not.
  • Do you believe in the if you build it they will come school of Web design? Read my post on building traffic for why that will not work and what site owners MUST do to be found.

The best site for understanding search engines, serps and SEO is SEOBook and a good place to start is AaronWall’s excellent post Two Diametrically Opposed Google Editorial Policies.

If there has ever actually been a benevolent dictator it might be the stuff of fiction such as King Arthur and Camelot or possibly the kingdom of David, but finding an example in modern times may be impossible.

For 23 years I worked for IBM, arguably the most apparently paternalistic corporation in the world, who “took care of” their employees as though they were children – at least that is what we all thought until they converted our REAL pensions to illegal cash pensions, eliminated benefits that we had been promised IN WRITING and suddenly reduced salaries for some employees by 25% – all when they were making profits and before the economic declines.

What was our “loving” corporation really up to? Read IBM and the Holocaust and my readers may start to understand why I am such a champion for privacy rights. IBM’s technology was used to round up those sent to the death camps and technology today WILL be used in the same way in a not-too-distant future.

As luck would have it, the No Verichip Movement has a video that not only explains IBM’s connection to the Holocaust but also the IBM Verichip connection:

There are many other videos on that site and on YouTube and around the Internet. This is NOT a secret and you don’t need to be a prophet to know what is happening. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THE OTHER RFID VIDEOS.

Did you read Aaron’s post highlighted in the box above? In it he wrote,

“Some bloggers who didn’t know any better got torched based on a single blog post” ~ Aaron Wall of SEOBook, #1 for SEO training ~

THAT is the power of Google. So you might want to start saving the URLs of your favorite sites and blogs somewhere YOU control – so you can find them should posts like this one or even innocent things they say that are not even controversial – get them booted from Google’s search engine.

If that happens, be brave and make noise about where your favorite sites have gone across Social Networks or we are all already oppressed beyond belief and any “freedom” we perceive is TRULY an illusion. July 26, 2010 I wrote in this comment that hyperinflation ends Fiat currencies and what to do to prepare. There is much good information in that post.

A final P.S. to everyone and especially Pete. Read my post What Caused the Great Depression is Now and the exceptional explanations it links to regarding currency, the sliding dollar, how the worldwide economy works and the real history of the United States. What is coming is unavoidable so you may was well know what you’re up against and be better prepared.

“The Google Webmaster Guidelines are an arbitrary device used to oppress the small and weak, but do not apply to large Google ad partners.” ~ Vancouver SEO Rob Woods ~

GOOGLE ALGO CHANGE REACTIONS:

Manipulating SERPS:

JUNK SERPS:

CHECKING YOUR GOOGLE POSITIONS:

MUST READ posts on why you DO NOT rank where you think you do when YOU search for your keywords!

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{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }

Opal who writes about Celebrate Life
Twitter:
April 20, 2012 at 3:08 am

Twitter: @CrunchyOpal

Hi Gail,
I’m a bit late to comment on this post; but I agree with a lot that you’ve written here. I’ve been online since 1995; when I had my first website. The online world has changed a lot. I started blogging later 2004.

One thing I refused to do was jump through Google hoops. Since I didn’t want to them to have so much control over my sites, and how I chose to operate my sites, and so I actively look for alternate sources to promote my sites. When my blog pals were actively struggling and running around like the world was coming to an end (after their page rank had been cut, or for some reason they weren’t getting as much traffic from Google, my sites were still doing fine, since I’d refused not to be so dependent on one source.
Opal would love you to read ..A tad busy; assignments, gardening, and new stitches, oh my…My Profile

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ios jailbreak
Twitter:
April 6, 2012 at 1:58 pm

Twitter: @theinfow

Sadly Google, Apple, Microsoft have means an excessive amount of energy and blind belief from the common joe. What all of us want is an efficient conspiracy. sadly a competent, neutral search engine would nonetheless want large assets to be aggressive and its onerous to be wealthy and likewise whiter than white.
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Adam Gottlieb who writes about Frugal Entrepreneur
Twitter:
February 9, 2012 at 8:22 am

Twitter: @frugalentrepren

I just stumbled on this whole series of posts and couldn’t agree with you more…

There’s a lot of power, money, and corruption underneath all the pretty PR packaging and incredibly useful “freebies” Google has thrown our way. Google is certainly not immune from the extensive “politico-corporate” greed and irresponsibility that is running so rampant these days.

But what makes the case of Google even more more disconcerting is its reach. Even if you were to try to avoid All Things Google, if you use the Internet in any way you’ll still be affected by it’s tentacles.

And the truth is that things probably won’t change for the better; the problems are too pervasive and the resistance too divided. Finger pointing can only work when all fingers are pointing in the same direction.

The reality is further that in order to make a living, most small business owners will still need to use Google products in some way. Where that is the case, then get educated and at least know with whom you are working. And make sure that in your own business dealings, *you* “do no evil.”
Adam Gottlieb would love you to read ..14 Free Tools & Resources to Make Your Business Website Mobile-FriendlyMy Profile

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growmap
Twitter:
February 14, 2012 at 10:52 pm

Twitter: @GrowMap

Hi Adam,

Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. My philosophy is identify, share and use alternatives as much as possible and when you use what I call collectively “Borg” sites like Facebook, Twitter, and anything Google to bring those you meet back to a domain you control.

We don’t know how all this will play out. At some point we may need to get rid of all things Borg or we might not even be able to use the Internet as we know it today so we will either create our own or go our merry ways off the grid and offline too.

The good news is many are waking up. The bad news is most small businesses still don’t have much of a clue and are passing on all the benefits they could be taking advantage of now that always end up declining over time.
growmap would love you to read ..Top Small Business Books – My Picks for SmallBizTrends 2012 #BizBookAwardsMy Profile

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Lawerence who writes about global search engine marketing February 5, 2012 at 4:44 am

Do you know any search engine placement optimization JV partners in your region?

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alex who writes about lawyers romania January 24, 2012 at 5:09 am

google is so evil! but in the end Google it’s a business, and like in all businesses, the focus is on profit and this in understandable.
but from the user’s point of view, things should be a little different

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alex who writes about company formation turkey November 8, 2011 at 7:38 am

from my point of view, one of the biggest untrusted things about google is Adwords.. lots of times i’ve got fooled by intentionally wrong written ad texts.. i don’t really see the point if u think that i’m bouncing out as soon as i reach the desired page and google takes money on that..

~alex

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growmap
Twitter:
November 8, 2011 at 6:20 pm

Twitter: @GrowMap

Hi Alex,

The ads are written by the advertisers or their agents and the entry level employees often fresh out of college that G employs to approve them are unlikely to know how to evaluate whether they are misleading or not. While they have some very sharp AdWords people they also have a ton of highly experienced young college grads with little life experience.

AdWords definitely IS one of the most untrustworthy aspects as you can see if you read my post that explains what AdWords distribution fraud is.
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alex who writes about company formation germany January 24, 2012 at 5:11 am

thanks for sharing the adwords post with us, very interesting!
and also, thanks for the response,

~alex

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Andrew who writes about forex trading courses October 29, 2011 at 8:31 am

Wow! Google exposed!
Andrew would love you to read ..Forex Trade Signals and Setups Oct. 27thMy Profile

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Shine October 25, 2011 at 3:10 am

Wow! I didn’t really think Google would be that evil!

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Satrap who writes about Make Money Online
Twitter:
October 15, 2011 at 12:35 am

Twitter: @blogstashdotcom

Wow Gail,

This post is really deep and so well researched. I can’t really comment on these points, however, in general I do feel like Google and I think any big brand in general end up manipulating everything they have power over, to suit their own financial interests, no matter how innocent or with good intentions these brands were made.

Any way, you have linked a lot of posts here and I am going to need some time to read and take them all in. Very interesting post indeed.
Satrap would love you to read ..Ways To Make MoneyMy Profile

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growmap
Twitter:
November 8, 2011 at 6:22 pm

Twitter: @GrowMap

Hi Satrap,

I spent about 5.5 years managing dozens of AdWords accounts for small businesses so I know more than most about how the ppc game is played. Since I stopped doing that I have spent all my time trying to find ways for small businesses to survive the continual drop in traffic they’re going to get because of search engine monopoly and their favoring of big brands.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.
growmap would love you to read ..Learn How to Get Noticed Online AND Get CommentLuv Premium, Too!My Profile

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iPhone App Development October 12, 2011 at 2:30 am

I don’t know how much Google is honest but only know that Google core focus is visitor. Google makes everything and advice to make everything with the central attention of users. Thanks for the reality content.
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growmap
Twitter:
October 12, 2011 at 10:00 am

Twitter: @GrowMap

So many are still so naive. We must stop believing what people and corporations SAY they do and watch what they REALLY DO. Google’s core focus is NOT visitors.

Google is not your friend; in fact, you are not even Google’s customer. You are the PRODUCT Google sells to its customers.

growmap would love you to read ..Why Bloggers Should Care About Affiliate MarketingMy Profile

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Danny who writes about Pole chain saw September 21, 2011 at 5:35 am

The Google fairy does not exist?!? *SHOCKED*

The whole “Google trustworthy: No” part was a bit too much for me, I’m not saying I don’t believe it, but it makes the pill too disgusting and big too swallow.

I do fully agree with the “Manipulating the SERPS” part.
My father also has his own business and he has a website as well.
Last month I visited him in the netherlands and we talked about his business. We ended up talking about visibility on the internet and he got really annoyed saying: I have a full life of experience in this business, I know exactly what to do in my business to deliver the best service to my clients. And then some nobody who can barely tie his own shoe laces but understands this “search engine manipulating” thing can steal so many customers from me because he can get the number one spot from me. That is outrageous!

And I can understand why he gets so pissed off. He probably feels powerless. He is not very computer savvy and has a lot of difficulty grasping this whole Search engine thing.
But times change, and if you don’t addapt then you get hurt.
Danny would love you to read ..Black & Decker NPP2018 18-Volt Cordless Electric Pole Chain SawMy Profile

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Access Templates
Twitter:
August 15, 2011 at 7:00 am

Twitter: @http://www.accesstemplates.org/

I also admit that Google is the best, fast and most reliable search engine. I think more than 80% people are using this search engine due to its great facility.

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growmap
Twitter:
October 12, 2011 at 10:02 am

Twitter: @GrowMap

Then you are naive, indeed. You and the masses use Google because the major media tells you to over and over and over and you aren’t awake enough to realize you’re being conditioned to follow their commands.
growmap would love you to read ..Small Business Internet Marketing: Where to StartMy Profile

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Luke who writes about Send Money Abroad July 8, 2011 at 10:47 am

Unfortunately Google, Apple, Microsoft have way too much power and blind trust from the average joe. What we all need is a good conspiracy! Unfortunately a competent, impartial search engine would still need massive resources to be competitive and its hard to be rich and also whiter than white.

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Chris
Twitter:
June 11, 2011 at 3:54 pm

Twitter: @None

Great post with loads of information. I will admit yahoo is my choice but google is making a run
Chris would love you to read ..Free World of WarCraft-Free WoW CardsMy Profile

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