Is Google Finally Slapping Itself?

Google is apparently redefining its search results. Again. Chris Crum is asking "Can you rank?" I'm asking a different question. I'm surprised how many people are acting like Google is doing something new every time it changes the way it ranks and serves search results. Is there a webmaster -- or even blogger? -- left alive who doesn't know what it means to be "google slapped"?

The sky isn't falling, folks. In fact, I think if this goes down the way some people think it will, Google is going to lose users. Period.

But think about this: as a webmaster, I'll simply start optimizing my content for some other popular search engines and relegate Google to the back burner where they've been begging to go for some years now anyway. As a mentor, I'll be teaching other people to make similar adjustments to their seo. The more this starts happening, the more market share Google is going to notice slipping through its dying fingers.

Okay, I may be overstating the case there. At worst, Google will probably do just fine catering to firms with big advertising budgets. After all, I'm sure they realize that they're not the only game in town for the "little guys"... right?

Right?