Google’s Danny Sullivan provided insights into an internal Google event known as the Ranking Fair, where Googlers share ideas about search results. Sullivan highlighted key concerns affecting web publishers, and the web marketing community agrees with these concerns.
Sullivan Stands up for Publishers
Sullivan mentioned the Ranking Fair on social media, describing it as a science fair for sharing projects within the search team. He took this opportunity to present some of the concerns from webmasters, using this creative format to further communicate these issues.
Webmaster Ecosystem Concerns
Sullivan outlined primary concerns from publishers who feel that Google might be undermining the expected terms of engagement between the company and content creators. While Google’s success is tied to continued quality content creation by publishers, publishers rely on Google to appropriately acknowledge and reward such quality through exposure and positive user experience. The concept of the Google/Webmaster Ecosystem hinges on this symbiotic relationship.
Top Publisher Concerns Communicated to Google
Sullivan serves as the liaison between Google and web publishers, working to ensure clear communication and cooperation between them. His presentation aimed to make Google understand how publishers perceive its actions.
Voice Search
A primary concern is related to Google’s voice search. The company has yet to clarify how this service will benefit publishers financially. There is speculation that Google may gain from increasing sales of IoT devices while publishers receive diminishing returns on their content investments. Publishers fear Google’s voice search might serve Google’s interests more than theirs.
Webmaster Control
Publishers voiced frustrations about major brands appearing multiple times in search results, limiting diversity. Sullivan addressed related feedback from an in-house SEO who suggested the need for users to control how many times a single site appears in search results or even blacklist sites.
Failure to Link & Give Credit to Content Author
A major concern is that certain search result pages display information sourced from other websites without providing a link to the original content. Publishers generally agree that proper attribution, even if only a few clicks result from it, is crucial. Google needs to clarify the benefits of such search result features if they are to be seen as valuable to users.
Fear of Organic SERPs Disappearing
Sullivan discussed the fear that organic search results might be overshadowed by ads, snippets, and other features, making it harder for users to find organic listings. Though such features can provide valuable information, their presence, combined with ads, poses a challenge for publishers, reducing their visibility.
Positive Response from Publisher & SEO Community
The reaction from publishers and the SEO community was largely positive. Many appreciated Sullivan’s role in communicating the concerns of web publishers and their perspective on Google’s evolving features. The community expressed gratitude for his efforts to bridge the gap between publishers and Google.
Images by Shutterstock, Modified by Author
Screenshots by Author, Modified by Author
