It's a comin'

[MazY]

So, seems the much loved Google are moving towards their pay model slowly but surely then.

I'm a little behind on current affairs so this may be old news:

The Link (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t270-s2093675,00.html)

Pay for shorter indexing times. Hate to say I told ya so but it's the oldest trick in the book isn't it? Make it free, reel them in, make yourselves the dominant party, then wham 'em with the charges.

I give it another year before we start to see an increase in payment models from Google.

[ihelpyou]

yea, I know but I would wonder why they would not continue to differentiate themself from the rest. What they are doing has been successful as they started making a profit about 2 months ago. I would be surprised if drastic changes would take place.

[MazY]

This is one of the reasons why I am more than a little nervous about Google.

There are so many people who claim that it is the only search engine worth bothering with. This, in turn, means less chance for the others as they simply don't maintain the user base.

Only one basket to load all of your eggs in to is a very dangerous gamble. Personally I would much rather see AV and Lycos (particularly Lycos as I like them) catch up with the trends and have things balanced out a little more.

The ultimate nightmare scenario is, I'm afraid, having to fight even harder for the top spots because everyone is clambering at the only engine to make a difference. I would really hate to see that happen.

My prediction is that if Google move towards a pay model then they too will become a Lycos and an Altavista. There are quite a few small engines out there that are just waiting to be the next most popular search engine. If this means offering it free then they sure will do it. They have to - it is a common business practise.

I speak for myself but I don't optimise for Google because I feel that it is the best, I do it because I know it is the most used. If I go for the best then I choose AllTheWeb every time.

[ihelpyou]

In total agreement with that. Google would not be doing themselves much good by simply following the others. I agree that smaller ones may come into play if indeed that does happen.

I know it is still early, but AV does not seem to have done themself much good.

[MazY]

lol With regards to AV - I actually do wonder what they do with their day time. It seems to have exhaled its last weak breath some time ago.

I think it is a question of not when they will die but when will someone remind them that they need to turn off the lights.