23 July 2007 | Author: Betty Emirzian

Is Google gobbling up the world?

What comes to mind with a word like 'power'?

For some, the uncompromising qualities of nature govern all, while for others, the world's authoritative countries better fit the bill. Yet for a large number of people, a certain search engine is an accurate enough depiction.

Google's degree of power is no secret. In fact, from the company's early days - a mere decade ago - it was apparent that 'bigger and better' would always be on their list of to-do's. But just how does the public feel about the ever-rising success of a search engine company - and especially one which retains user search history?

A recent survey conducted by bigmouthmedia reveals that the majority of British internet users - 53% - are actually in favour of Google's success. However, when asked if Google would actually hold its post as the leading search engine in five years time, the figures were higher - meaning more people believe the search engine giant will maintain its lead than those who actually want it to.

Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land, Danny Sullivan said;

"Google faces a huge challenge in not being seen as trying to gobble up the world. I suspect the best way to counter concerns is to be as open in advance of any moves, hear feedback and be shown as actually responsive by making some changes. I think recent moves with the cookies and log data retention is an example of this, though it's sadly countered by StreetView being rolled out without any heads-up that it was coming, to warn the public."

While men were more likely than women to predict that Google would retain its lead, women were more supportive of the search engine, with only 5% rooting for Google to lose pole position. A significant 40% of respondents admitted that they did not know whether they wanted Google to keep its lead or not.

"This data shows how confident searchers are of Google and how much goodwill the search engine has won," said Andrew Girdwood, Head of Search at bigmouthmedia. "Marketers using Google should treat this goodwill with care but also look to harness it effectively for their own campaigns."

So, the question remains: will Google still be holding the lead in five years' time? Chances are, yes. But as they say, only time will tell.

The survey commissioned by bigmouthmedia polled over 1,100 responses, evenly split between male and female.

• See the survey