Google News
Google penalizes Chrome & Google+ rapidly rises in popularity
I have written about Google in the past, but the number one search engine has been in the news again lately, for both good and bad publicity. 2012 appears to be a monster year for Google, as it continues to develop and market new products, challenging Facebook, Apple, and Internet Explorer along the way. Here are the recent transgressions and progressions that have affected the technology giant.
Google penalizes Chrome browser for sponsored post
Google wisely displayed a lack of preferential treatment by penalizing its own Chrome browser after discovering that a hired third-party advertising agency was unfairly using sponsored posts that violate Google’s webmaster guidelines.
The Chrome homepage has been lowered beyond page five for searches of the key phrases “chrome,” “browser,” and “Google chrome.” It had previously been ranked on the first page for those terms. Google also reduced its page rank, which is the metric that determines the strength of a website. The penalties are believed to be enforced for a 60-day period.
Honestly, Google probably could have skirted its own rules in order to avoid down-ranking its web browser, but the decision to hold itself to its own standards shows integrity. In my opinion, the publicity garnered from this good-will gesture will more than compensate for worse search results.
Besides, who is even searching the internet to find Chrome? Those who know about it already use it. Experts predict that Internet Explorer will finally lose its position as the top web browser to Chrome sometime in 2012. Chrome has made headway by offering the Google search engine as standard, providing the Chrome web store with awesome apps, and becoming the automatic browser for the increasingly popular Android platform. Google will continue to dominate the internet landscape , but if you need more proof…
Google+ is booming!
Google’s social media network and heir apparent to the Facebook throne is skyrocketing in membership. Just months after its release, Google+ is estimated to have over 60 million members. This figure is significant, because maintaining the current pace would put Google+ at over 400 million users by the end of 2012. And just to put that number in perspective, Facebook currently is beyond the 800 million mark, but with nearly 8 years in existence.
The main reason for this boom is simple: internet users have learned from Facebook (and other social websites) the value of belonging to popular social networks, coupled with the trust of the Google brand. Social media allows people to share news, jokes, online deals, pictures, interests, and other information to friends and followers in their networks.
Additional reasons for the fast rate of growth can be attributed to the popularity of Android devices integrated with Google+, better opportunities for brand marketing, and ease of use.
Regardless of how you feel about the web’s Goliath, Android, Google+, and Chrome should see continued advances in 2012 as Google maintains its valuable status for online businesses, internet marketing companies, and web surfers.
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