What if you own the search and the results?
July 28th, 2008 • Google, Internet, Search
The speculation is now rife: is Google showering favours on its own sites? The search beomoth’s answer to Wikipedia launched last week, and now Jason Calacanis has launched an attack on the Knol strategy:
For Google’s own good they should not try to take over their own search results. If Google results start showing 20-30% Knol pages and YouTube videos then that is going to drive users away from Google in search of more diversity.
I’ll guarantee that thousands of companies around the globe are microwaving a strategy of their own to deal with Knol. If indeed Google is favouring its own site in search results (so breaking one of their promises never to become a content provider), then any self-respecting website publisher will be forced to play the Knol game.
It’s worth saying here that Calacanis has an interest in Knol falling at the first hurdle (his Mahalo ‘human-powered search’ aims to turn Google’s weapons on itself). But regardless, he has a point: will I stop using Google when the first page of every return is a Google-owned link (and hey, let’s remember - until Friday, Google was showing strong interest in buying Digg)?
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