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Google Search Results Stink

Big, dark internet secret #17: Google does not have the best search results. So why are they the number one search engine in the world (about 43% of all internet searches occur on Google)? Sites like AltaVista consistently deliver more relevant results pertaining to almost any imaginable search, but they barely make it onto the competitive map (about 1% of all internet searches occur on AltaVista).

Google does one thing. It is simple and easy to understand. When you go to the website, you have two choices... search or leave. In the beginning, when folks asked their internet savvy friends where to find something on the internet, those friends would refer to Google because it was straight forward and they knew it could not possibly be screwed up. It was so simple to use, it spread like chicken pox through a third grade classroom.

Good does not have to be complicated or overwrought. Want an idea to spread? Make it easy to use, easy to talk about, and easy to recommend. That way, when your competition is more effective, less expensive, or more reliable, you can still be number one.


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