The search war rages on
There are speculations that AOL (American Online) will be switching to MSN’s search technology. Currently, AOL uses Google’s search functions and also sells its ads on AOL network. This accounts for 10% of Google’s revenue for the 3rd quarter of this year. The switch can impact Google’s growth, as competitors try to topple the search giant now.
I have mixed feelings after knowing this:
Currently, all my sites are ranked on top 10 of MSN. But not all of them are on top 10 Google, as Google will not allow some new sites to achieve high search ranking in a few months. So, my sites will ride on the wave of MSN and gain much more traffic as MSN grows stronger.
However, I am a Google fan. I like Google’s company philosophy and their efficiency. Research has also indicated that Google is the top 10th most powerful brandname among internet users between the age of 13 to 49. I personally would not want to see Google going downhill in any way.
Some are saying that Google is growing too fast, and too strong now. Or put it this way, They are unstoppable! I think the partnership between MSN and AOL may eat into Google’s profit. But, it will only be a minor drawback for the search giant.
Innovation will continue to be Google’s key strength. And if there is anything to stop Google, it will be the company itself now.