Could it be said that the drive behind search engine has changed hugely since its inception?
The search engine giant and frequent darling of the markets enjoys a market cap of over $142 billion. That's a lot of money.
A bigmouthmedia commissioned survey shows that less than 3 in 10 internet users in the UK think Google has become too commercial.
Is Google becoming too commercial?
Yes: 29%
No: 37%
Don't know: 34%
Google is free to use. Powerful and inspirational services like Gmail, Picasa, Google Finance and Blogger are also entirely free.
Large companies spend millions of pounds advertising on Google's vast network. Products like Google Mini and the enhanced Google Earth cost money.
It is often argued that Google's decision to expand into China was influenced by commercial intent. There are also those who would claim that algorithm tweaks, especially on the PPC front, contain large elements of commercial thought.
It can be interesting to review who is more likely to accuse Google of becoming "too commercial".
Bigmouthmedia's survey of over 1,000 respondents, evenly spread in age and gender, showed that women are far less likely than men to view Google as overly commercial.
Is Google becoming too commercial? Male vs Female
Male "Yes": 35%
Female "Yes": 23%
When asked why public opinion of Google was becoming less forgiving, Chris Sherman, Executive Editor at SearchEngineLand, commented:
"All successful companies go through similar evolutionary phases. When they're young and innovative, they can do no wrong, especially if they're changing things in a positive way and providing benefits that were previously costly or unavailable. As the company matures, competitors begin to grumble, and the company inevitably makes mistakes that cause once-loving customers pain or inconvenience.
"Google now dominates in so many areas that some people perceive it as all-powerful or arrogant. In some ways, that's true - but Google still adheres to its "do no evil" mantra in my opinion. Microsoft went through virtually the same evolution, starting off as an innovative startup that radically changed computing. Over time, they came to be known as the evil empire by some.
"Regardless of what Google does or does not do, it's going to attract criticism and there will inevitably be negative press. In my opinion, it's important for people to weigh the various opinions expressed in the media with their own experiences before passing judgement on any company, regardless of their past actions."
Survey size: 1,101Survey size: 551 men / 550 women
Survey area: UK
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This article was first published on 02 April 2007 and does not necessarily match current events or the current opinions and views of bigmouthmedia ltd.
