Using Google to Kill Your Online Competition

Ok, you've probably seen the story about the New York online eyeglass retailer who uses negative sentiment online to increase his Google ranking.

If not, jump over here really quick.

Pretty lame right?

Google has a response:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/being-bad-to-your-customers-is-bad-for.html

Here is the meat of it:

Instead, in the last few days we developed an algorithmic solution which detects the merchant from the Times article along with hundreds of other merchants that, in our opinion, provide an extremely poor user experience. The algorithm we incorporated into our search rankings represents an initial solution to this issue, and Google users are now getting a better experience as a result.

Apparently, they do sentiment analysis, but somehow can't find a way to use that for online business? REALLY?

Elsewhere, they are guessing that they will be using the merchant reviews that Google has already amassed as part of the algorithm.

What does this say when Google won't reveal HOW they are going to block not only this specific retailer, but "hundreds of other merchants that, in [Google's]opinion, provide an extremely poor user experience."

Want to knock out your competition? Overwhelm their blogs, ratings, rankings, etc with NEGATIVE comments. Don't think it's viable? How can it not be when Google won't tell you otherwise?

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It's weird, sad and slightly freeing. I've been headed towards a completely different life for a lot longer than I even knew. It took me a while to catch up to realize it was happening. Thankfully, I was cognizant enough to see it finally and mostly ready for it. It's amazing when you have the rug completely pulled out from underneath you. The adjustments are jarring. I made mistakes, but like most I learned from them, adapted, and tried my best to do better. The reason you see that truck next to a storage place? That's the sum of my life right now. Never take for granted that you will work hard for something or someone, and it will end up meaning very little. You are guaranteed nothing, owed nothing, promised nothing. Anything and everything can be taken away in a heartbeat. I wrote this to my kids a while back: I tried to be the best father I could be based on what I knew when I knew it and how I could. One of the lessons for your life needs to be: you n...

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Most folk who know me, know I lost my father when I was 14 years old. However, before he passed, he shared a timeless secret with me—a practice that would shape my life in ways I could never have imagined. He didn't teach me meditation in the traditional sense, with incense and crossed legs. Instead, he showed me how to meditate by gazing at a lone light on the ceiling. When I was very young, I had night terrors that would wake me in the middle of the night. I'm sure it was terribly frustrating to calm a child from that. But my father had the way. I never understood how he came to the practice. But over the years, I've come to understand that my father's unique approach to meditation was, in fact, a profound lesson in mindfulness and presence. In a nearly pitch black room, he would tell me to find a speck of light, not unlike a star. Then focus. He would say, "Just watch the light, like you're watching a story unfold. Be the observer, not the thinker." I...

Check out my appearance on the The Toddcast Podcast

Click and watch the podcast recording of my appearance on the Toddcast Podcast Such a fun time!

Todd Lyden

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