Google’s dominance in the search engine market has long been a topic of discussion, but recent legal rulings have now officially labeled Google as a monopoly. For small businesses and SEO professionals, this ruling raises important questions about the future of search engine optimization and how strategies may need to evolve.
Why Is Google A Monopoly: The Ruling
In a landmark decision, Google was declared a monopoly by a federal court, affirming that its control over the search engine market gives it unfair competitive advantages. This ruling stems from Google’s overwhelming market share—estimated at over 90% globally—and its ability to influence search outcomes and online visibility. The court’s decision underscores the concern that Google’s dominance stifles competition, limits consumer choice, and hinders innovation in the digital marketplace.
The Rise Of Google’s Dominance in the Search Market
Google processes an estimated 8.5 billion queries per day worldwide. The word “Google” has grown so much in popularity that users sometimes use it as a verb. Yahoo was the most popular search engine in the 90s before Google came along. According to the Associated Press who covered the story about the trial, the judge in the trial “noted that Microsoft’s Bing search engine has 80% share of the search market on the Microsoft Edge browser. The judge said that shows other search engines can be successful if Google is not locked in as the predetermined default option.” He went on to credit Google with being “widely recognized as the best (general search engine) available in the United States.”
Google’s journey to becoming a monopoly began with its superior search algorithm, which quickly set it apart from competitors in the early 2000s. Over time, Google expanded its services beyond search, integrating products like Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube into a vast ecosystem that keeps users within its sphere. By continually refining its algorithm and leveraging user data to deliver highly personalized search results, Google has maintained its dominance, effectively making it the go-to search engine for billions of users worldwide.
Current Strategies for SEO & Google
To thrive in a market where Google is the primary search engine, businesses must adopt SEO strategies that align with Google’s guidelines while also preparing for potential shifts in the search landscape. This includes focusing on high-quality content, optimizing for user experience, and staying informed about algorithm updates. Leveraging Google’s own tools and platforms, such as Google My Business, can also help improve visibility in local search results. Understanding technical SEO, content marketing, user experience, conversion rates, quality backlinks, digital PR, local SEO, and on page optimization are all key to having a strong SEO strategy. But what does the future look like?
Implications of this Ruling: The Future of SEO
The future of SEO is, as always, uncertain, especially in light of the recent monopoly ruling.
While Google is unlikely to lose its dominant position anytime soon, regulatory pressures could lead to changes in how the company operates. For instance, there could be increased scrutiny of Google’s practices, leading to potential changes in how search results are displayed or how advertising is handled. SEO professionals and businesses must stay agile, ready to adapt to these changes as they unfold.
Here are 5 tips on how to adjust your SEO strategy
1 Diversify Traffic Sources
Diversifying traffic sources by investing in social media, email marketing, and other digital channels can mitigate the risks associated with relying solely on Google for online visibility. When used properly, SEO is part of a larger overall digital marketing strategy, so businesses with a diverse and thorough system for lead generation should feel secure in their process, but stay flexible when it comes to SEO and changing the plan.
2 Use Digital PR and Gain Quality Backlinks
Now more than ever, it’s important to develop unique content that will gain natural backlinks and citations. Building relationships with editors, journalists, content creators, and podcast hosts in your niche is imperative to supplementing your backlink profile. The more industry leaders link to you, the more authority you have online both to users and to search engines.
3 Perform a Content Audit
Frequency of content creation matters as it helps rank for more quality keywords AND helps Google crawl your site more frequently. However, old outdated content or low quality content could be hindering you from progress by using valuable crawl budget and sending the wrong signal to users and search engines. Perform a blog audit to ensure your content is up to date, on brand, and performing well.
4 Solidify Your Interlinking Strategy
Interlinking is a hugely underrated SEO strategy. Internal links on your site help users and search engines relate your pages and navigate through your material. Guiding users down their customer journey, answering questions, and providing context by linking to other internal pages can help both users and Google find your content and services faster.
5 Prepare for AI Search
With the announcement of SearchGPT, openAI’s new prototype AI search engine, new doors are open to additional ways to search online. Keep an eye on the industry and what comes next as AI and search are combined to create new opportunities for traffic and customers. Brand recognition and quality content are going to be key during this transition.
Adapting Your SEO Strategy For The Future
To prepare for the future, businesses should focus on creating a flexible SEO strategy that can adapt to changes in Google’s algorithms and policies. This might include experimenting with emerging search technologies like AI Overviews or Google SGE (Search Generative Experience), which could play a significant role in the future of search. By staying informed, diversifying traffic sources, and focusing on delivering value to users, businesses can navigate the challenges of a Google-dominated search market and continue to succeed in the ever-evolving world of SEO.
If you need help with your strategy, reach out and schedule a free consult call.
