Google Serp Changes

[Aegean]

In line with the recent EU directive, some changes appear to be happening to Google SERP pages, as outlined in this story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22293238

 

[dashu1]

I really don't get the "fairness" rules, it's like Hoover designing a new all singing all dancing vacuum cleaner, and it being deemed it's too good and they must share the patent with their competitors to give them a "fair" chance.

Markets should be allowed to sort themselves out, if Google decide to put themselves ahead of genuine results, which flies in the face of what consumers want, then eventually they will fail as people move elsewhere for better results.

Why should a company (company A) who have invested their own time, effort, money, and knowledge into making something that is hugely successful be tied back by a bunch of paper shufflers who are, lets be fair, being paid to do it by company A's competitors.

 

[Aegean]

Its because markets need to be protected in a monopoly situation, which is effectively what Google has in Europe. You cannot have one company with an overwhelming market share that is so closely tied to business dominating the marketplace without some sort of regulation.

You can't draw a simile with Hoover because Hoover essentially make a tangible consumer product which you don't have to buy. Google dominate the European (+UK) search market and hundreds of billions of dollars worth of business for other companies is determined by what they do with their index.