Search Engine Land
  • SEO
    • > All SEO
    • > What Is SEO?
    • > SEO Periodic Table
    • > Google: SEO
    • > Bing SEO
    • > Google Algorithm Updates
  • PPC
    • > All PPC
    • > What is PPC?
    • > Google Ads
    • > Microsoft Ads
    • > The Periodic Tables of PPC
  • Focuses
    • > Local
    • > Commerce
    • > Shopify SEO Guide
    • > Content
    • > Email Marketing Periodic Table
    • > Social Media Marketing
    • > Analytics
    • > Search Engine Land Awards
    • > All Focuses
  • SMX
  • Webinars
  • Intelligence Reports
  • White Papers
  • About
    • > About Search Engine Land
    • > Newsletter
    • > Third Door Media
    • > Advertise

Processing...Please wait.

Search Engine Land » Channel » Content » Google’s Travel Opponents Hoping Bigger Antitrust Case Will Soon Follow

Google’s Travel Opponents Hoping Bigger Antitrust Case Will Soon Follow

One area that the Justice Department’s Google-ITA settlement didn’t cover was so-called “search neutrality.” In a nutshell, this is the misguided notion that Google shouldn’t be permitted to send traffic to its own properties. In the extreme it argues that the government should regulate Google’s algorithm as well. While the term “search neutrality” carries a […]

Greg Sterling on April 8, 2011 at 6:32 pm

One area that the Justice Department’s Google-ITA settlement didn’t cover was so-called “search neutrality.” In a nutshell, this is the misguided notion that Google shouldn’t be permitted to send traffic to its own properties. In the extreme it argues that the government should regulate Google’s algorithm as well.

While the term “search neutrality” carries a certain abstract appeal, as a practical matter it’s a utterly unworkable.

Just after the DOJ-ITA release went out this morning the FairSearch.org collection of online travel companies were celebrating “victory” on behalf of consumers. Later on a conference call with reporters they expressed the hope that the DOJ-ITA action was just the beginning of a broader antitrust case against Google.

Fear of a Google Travel Vertical

In particular, they want to restrain Google’s ability to send traffic to an anticipated travel vertical. According to a write up in PaidContent:

Asked why they’re happy when Google is touting the deal’s approval as a win, Tom Barnett, a lawyer with Expedia, said: “As antitrust officials look at those issues, there’s some telling signs that give you an indication of what may come… They took an enforcement action in a vertical merger. That’s unusual. They did that because of Google’s power in search dominance” . . . “I do think there’s sufficient basis to open a broader investigation”  . . . “Google may well be using its dominance in general search engine to foreclose the ability of other sites to get visibility on the web, and to steer users to Google’s own sites, in a way that might be anti-competitive.”

The argument being made by Expedia lawyer Barnett above is that Google’s very ability to “steer users to [its] own sites” is anti-competitive. This is the crux of “search neutrality.”

Because it is a flawed principle it will never be “enacted” or required by regulators, who really don’t want to intervene in the SERP. One could hypothetically imagine a periodic audit to make sure that Google wasn’t punishing selected competitors. However denying Google the ability to send traffic to Google Maps or News or YouTube or a future Google Travel deprives consumers of choice more than it preserves competition.

What if Google were to build a great travel site? Wouldn’t consumers want access to it? Shouldn’t Google be able to expose it?

No Guarantee of Success for Google

Of course there’s no guarantee that Google will in fact build a great travel site. Google Finance has only a fraction of the usage of Yahoo Finance, despite the fact that Google Finance is the first in the list of results that respond to stock ticker queries.

Though it’s a powerful way consumers discover information, Google isn’t the only way to build a brand or get traffic. Google’s travel competitors can continue to thrive by building better products and promoting them in creative ways, including with social media.

They should stop longing for “search neutrality” and just build better sites and consumer experiences.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


New on Search Engine Land

    Webinar: Dominate your competition with Google auction insights and search intelligence

    Vimeo adds structured data to all public videos to improve Google Search visibility

    How to manage and edit your Google Business Profile from Google search

    Google Search Console page experience report now tracks more desktop search features

    What’s your SEO learning style?

About The Author

Greg Sterling
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.

Related Topics

ContentGoogleSEO

Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.

Processing...Please wait.

See terms.

ATTEND OUR EVENTS

Learn actionable search marketing tactics that can help you drive more traffic, leads, and revenue.

March 8-9, 2022: Master Classes (virtual)

June 14-15, 2022: SMX Advanced (virtual)

November 15-16, 2022: SMX Next (virtual)

Learn More About Our SMX Events

Discover time-saving technologies and actionable tactics that can help you overcome crucial marketing challenges.

Start Discovering Now: Spring (virtual)

September 28-29, 2022: Fall (virtual)

Learn More About Our MarTech Events

Webinars

Data-Driven Answers to Achieve Omnichannel Success

Is Your Marketing Stack Ready for Omnichannel CX?

Outrank in Organic Search with These 5 Core Tactics

See More Webinars

Intelligence Reports

Enterprise SEO Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Identity Resolution Platforms

Email Marketing Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Sales Enablement Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Digital Experience Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Call Analytics Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

See More Intelligence Reports

White Papers

Realising the power of virtual events for demand generation

The Progressive Marketer’s Ultimate Events Strategy 2022 Worksheet

CMO Guide: How to Plan Smart and Pivot Fast

The Retail Renaissance Report, USA Edition: 4 Keys to Predicting Online & In-Store Demand Across Global Markets

Thinking Bigger About Marketing Budgets

See More Whitepapers

Receive daily search news and analysis.

Processing...Please wait.

Topics

  • SEO
  • PPC

Our Events

  • Search Marketing Expo - SMX
  • MarTech

About

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Marketing Opportunities
  • Staff

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • RSS
  • Youtube

© 2022 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved.