The recent announcement regarding Google’s integration of Google+ content with search results, (as discussed here in our article on Google Search Plus) has produced some interesting reactions.
Accusations of Google using its position in search to unfairly advantage its own products have been rumbling around for quite some time now, but it seems that this latest move has really raised some ire against Google.
Twitter Chastises Google
In a statement released not long after Google’s announcement of the new search functionality, Twitter announced that they had concerns that, as a result of Google’s changes, finding immediate and relevant results would become more difficult for users, as Google pushed its own content in preference to others.
With more than 100 million users, Twitters place as a source for breaking news is not something that can be easily disputed, although of course, the accuracy and credibility of that news may sometimes be questionable.
They seem to be worried that twitter-based results will be pushed down in the results.
Are Search Results Suffering?
Well, Twitter certainly thinks so. They even tweeted an example, showing how a Twitter page showed up lower on Google for a search for it than the Google+ page for that same query.
But the Twitter page still shows up 3rd, so I don’t think they can claim to be really excluded or significantly penalised. And Twitters refusal to allow Google to index public Tweets confuses the issue still more.
A Better Internet
Wouldn’t it be nice if all the big online companies could work together to provide a better internet for us all?