Google Related – Has Google Gone Too Far This Time?

As you have undoubtedly noticed, Google has just released a brand new tool named Google Related!  This is the catchy looking slide-up toolbar that appears at the bottom of your browser window within a few seconds after you land onto a webpage.

To be quite honest, I had no idea that this new tool was even born until the other day when I was searching around and doing some editing on my site.  Then I noticed this toolbar appear out of nowhere!

At first, I thought that maybe I had installed some new plug-in on accident, or that I was having some sort of unknown issue in WordPress.  Then I took a closer look and put 2 and 2 together… Google must be at it again!

What is the Google Related Toolbar?

Simply put, as you are surfing around the web and land on a webpage, you will notice the Google Related Toolbar pop-up as a slider at the bottom of your browser if there is related content found in other areas of the web.

This toolbar is designed to provide users with related content for whatever topic they are researching.  However, you’ll notice as you begin to use this Google Related Toolbar that the so-called ‘related content’ primarily directs users to Google owned sites and services.

You’ll also find that when you are on Google-owned sites, their Google Related Toolbar does not appear!  Which for me, begs the question, “Is Google attempting to provide a more friendly user experience for finding information on the web, or are they just driving more users to their own webpages?  In other words, is this an attempt to steer users away from non-Google related webpages and drive traffic to their own?

Google Related is stealing our site space and visitors!

As a web-surfer, I could probably find some value in this new Google Related Toolbar!  However, as a site-owner, I am INFURIATED, and I pray that this post lands right on the desk of the top executives at Google!

As a site owner, what right does Google have to place a toolbar that is using up real estate on my blog.  Even though this toolbar is actually an extension of the browser window, at first glance, it appears as if it were built into every site that it appears on!  Is Google going to pay me for the real estate that their Google Related Toolbar is using up, and distracting my readers from my content?  Of course not!

If I wanted to have a pop-up slider to appear in my footer, I would have put one there myself!  In my strong opinion, Google has crossed the line and gone too far!

I think that I can speak for all site owners and publishers in this instance.  As site owners and publishers, we work extremely hard to write quality content, optimize our content with quality keywords, and ultimately drive traffic to our webpages.  Why in the world would we want to have a toolbar that steers our visitors away to competing sites (in most cases, Google sites)?

Google, I want to make myself loud and clear here…  YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO PLACE YOUR TOOLBAR IN THE FOOTER OF OUR SITES!!!

What’s next, is Google going to begin placing competing advertisements in this toolbar, and begin monetizing our traffic that we work so hard to generate?  To be honest everyone, I would not be surprised to see this happen down the road!

In my opinion, Google Related is the biggest punch in the gut for website owners and businesses with an online presence!

I would love to know your thoughts regarding Google Related.  If you share my opinion, and agree that Google has gone too far, please provide your feedback (good or bad) below.  Also, please bookmark and share this post with others.  You never know, maybe we can fight back!

It is my sincere hope that this Google Related service fails!

Category: Online Marketing Topics