Pissed at google? Tell the FTC.

[Cindy]

As many of you know, there is a pending antitrust lawsuit against google. And with there latest updates becoming more and more deliberate in trying to force anyone who wants to rank to pay them for it, your voice could help this case move along faster and be taken more seriously by the FTC. With google claiming to have 60% of all search volume (in reality it's probably 90%, you can tell the difference between ranking in google or yahoo and bing), more complaints to the FTC from intelligent people who give them as much info as possible in their own experiences may help to legally break them up.

You can file an FTC complaint here:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en

For the section where you enter the company info, I've done a search and found google's address for you:

Google, Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View
CA 94043

 

[caitlin]

Good idea Cindy but that is a waste of time. Google has too many politicians in their pocket. We need to start a clickbomb war and get google to start paying advertisers back. We need to hit them as hard as they have hit all of us.

 

[partymarty4870]

um - what if we're not pissed at google?

Just because you lost rankings doesn't mean everyone has.

How about working out how not to get affected next time rather than whinging about it.

 

[Th3T3chGuy]

We need to start a clickbomb war and get google to start paying advertisers back.

So people who use Adsense as their #1 source of income can go die, right??

 

[worldismine]

Filled it out. Best believe this would work if everyone dropped the mentality of "oh im just one person what can I do". If everyone who has beef with them filled it out then believe it that there is some politician out there who would scoope this up as he needs those extra votes from the people he satisfied on the upcoming election.

 

[Dan Da Man]

um - what if we're not pissed at google?

Just because you lost rankings doesn't mean everyone has.

How about working out how not to get affected next time rather than whinging about it.

Yeah yeah yeah. Wait until your site are hit and you loose everything. I am sure your little demeanor will change dramatically. I was there too. Thinking that we are different and we know what we are doing but you don't fartymarty. You will burn just wait. And when you do, I will be the first one to laugh at you when you cry.

Your sites went up because you were luckly. Me - Not so lucky. Out of my 10 sites, 2 were hit. And those two were the ones making the money. So pretty much I am fucked. But better to complain I will figure it out. But let those whine who have lost a lot. And let those smucky ass people who think they are immune to Google's wrath, be happy and jolly until they are destroyed as well.

I will keep an eye on you

 

[hitman247]

Lawsuits like that are such BS. Google is a "for-profit" company, and if they want to make people pay for their services, that is their right. Google spent millions of dollars (or more) on marketing and building a name for themselves, so they shouldn't try to profit from that? People can choose to use another search engine, but the majority of people choose Google.

When it comes to SEO, nothing is guaranteed, so if all of your eggs are in that basket, your profitable days are probably numbered.

 

[partymarty4870]

Yeah yeah yeah. Wait until your site are hit and you loose everything. I am sure your little demeanor will change dramatically. I was there too. Thinking that we are different and we know what we are doing but you don't fartymarty. You will burn just wait. And when you do, I will be the first one to laugh at you when you cry.

Your sites went up because you were luckly. Me - Not so lucky. Out of my 10 sites, 2 were hit. And those two were the ones making the money. So pretty much I am fucked. But better to complain I will figure it out. But let those whine who have lost a lot. And let those smucky ass people who think they are immune to Google's wrath, be happy and jolly until they are destroyed as well.

I will keep an eye on you

funny, I seem to remember you trashing one of my theories as to what you need to do post panda/penguin too.

Who's laughing now?

 

[Dan Da Man]

funny, I seem to remember you trashing one of my theories as to what you need to do post panda/penguin too.

Who's laughing now?

What theory was that? This was not panda or penguin or am I completely mistaken? This was a yet another one of Google's complete random updates. If it had anything to do with anything that I am doing, than all my sites would have been hit.

Was your theory building quality content and gaining social signals or any of that load of crap. If it was, I still stand behind it and even if it wasn't i still stand behind whatever I was trashing.

And i guess you are the one laughing because I am sure not laughing. But I am also not sulking. But, when you dodge a bullet you think that it was because you are so dam clever and you know what google wants blah blah blah bullshit bullshit bullshit. When in reality, all you did was dodge a bullet. So get off your high horse and just be luckily you did not get hit. It has nothing to do with anything you did. Sorry to burst your vagina

 

[kez1000]

You guys need to build a e-mailing list (If possible) that way you can protect your traffic..
Google has changed and it's about time that we realize it and do the same CHANGE..

If I was Google I would be doing the same thing ie Smashing the spam and bringing the
random smack down - I need to make money...Simple

 

[thefarang]

Lawsuits like that are such BS. Google is a "for-profit" company, and if they want to make people pay for their services, that is their right. Google spent millions of dollars (or more) on marketing and building a name for themselves, so they shouldn't try to profit from that? People can choose to use another search engine, but the majority of people choose Google.

When it comes to SEO, nothing is guaranteed, so if all of your eggs are in that basket, your profitable days are probably numbered.

Part of your statement is true. Part is questionable.

Yes, Google is a for profit company. However, governments have a long history of regulating for profit companies if they become too powerful or they engage in unfair business practices.

The problem with Google right now is that they have such a commanding lead that they can use their power in an unfair manner. In fact, I think an argument can be made that they already have.

 

[thejake]

The lounge, find it, use it. Also that's all we need is more FTC intervention on the internets. Learn SEO or STFU, don't go crying to Big Brother.

 

[hitman247]

Agreed, but we aren't talking about a monopoly. People who surf the internet have a choice. Google has built an incredible brand so they should be penalized for that? What is there to regulate anyway? Look at their homepage, nice and clean without BS clutter and BS news stories that no one cares about, unlike Yahoo which is riddled with ads.

When i go to use a search engine, I am there to search, not read about what Paris Hilton did in Vegas last weekend, or how the trash guy for Mitt Romney is unhappy (today's yahoo headlines).

If people want to complain about a monopoly or start class action suits, start going after oil/gas companies.

Part of your statement is true. Part is questionable.

Yes, Google is a for profit company. However, governments have a long history of regulating for profit companies if they become too powerful or they engage in unfair business practices.

The problem with Google right now is that they have such a commanding lead that they can use their power in an unfair manner. In fact, I think an argument can be made that they already have.

 

[assphuck]

The current run in Google has with the FTC is regarding the manipulation of organic search. Google figured out if they eliminated organic search in its entirety, they could freely rank who and what they want.

Google Search is one piece of their empire. They protect it with many of the other entities that they own http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_acquisitions_by_Google

Although consumers have a choice in where they search, their choice is limited when it comes to contact with a Google owned product/service http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products

What is really scary is that Google helped form a trade group that consists of Google, Amazon, eBay and other heavy hitters. Their sole purpose? To lobby politicians. No small businesses are invited to be members of their trade group. That should not come as a shock to anyone around here.

http://news.yahoo.com/tech-lobbying...6--finance.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CXsRGtQQCsACUfQtDMD

I'm not a judge, so I can't declare with certainty if Google meets the definition of a monopoly. If Google does not meet the definition of a monopoly, maybe its time we redefine what a monopoly is...

Google, which is being investigated by antitrust regulators in the United States and Europe, has lobbied officials at the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Commerce, according to disclosure forms.

 

[TheLinkGuy]

great idea!

lets have the FTC intervene even more in our daily lives. Maybe the government can just make a search engine one day?

 

[assphuck]

great idea!

lets have the FTC intervene even more in our daily lives. Maybe the government can just make a search engine one day?

Heaven forbid that the FTC actually performs one of its core functions. I'm sure if we leave it to Google's trade group, which will probably become known as the most powerful lobbying group in the world, we will be much better off.

I call this mentality "crapitalism," where small businesses are shoved aside by corporate giants in an effort to squash their abilities to compete. Monopolies can no longer be defined/prosecuted under antiquated laws, such as the Sherman Act, which was established in 1890. The horse and buggy days are long gone...

 

[GobBluthJD]

And with there latest updates becoming more and more deliberate in trying to force anyone who wants to rank to pay them for it

That's a pretty large leap of logic you took there. And it would be more than difficult to prove. That being said, I applaud you wanting to take action. It just needs to be more directed at something tangible.

 

[flx89]

What a waste of time.... They are a private company, if you don't like the, use something else....they can do what ever they want with their business

 

[TheLinkGuy]

What a waste of time.... They are a private company, if you don't like the, use something else....they can do what ever they want with their business

Exactly....Tough shit. Google isn't ranking your crappy low quality EMD? Oh well.. Learn how to adapt and get stuff to rank or forget about it.

 

[assphuck]

Exactly....Tough shit. Google isn't ranking your crappy low quality EMD? Oh well.. Learn how to adapt and get stuff to rank or forget about it.

What a completely oblivious response. You would rather have a trade group consisting of Google, eBay, Amazon, Facebook and many others swaying legislation by surpassing a citizen's most basic right to file a formal complaint.

According to your profile location, you are in the EU. So I can't say you are a poor excuse for an American...