Google Posts and Much More Happened at Google This Week!
This week, we have sent out 18th edition of Google This Week! newsletter. It’s been 3 months since I started publishing the newsletter every Sunday and the response has been phenomenal. From numerous appreciations to exceptional open rates, the weekly newsletter has proved to be a useful service.
The Unexpected
Usually, I publish only how-to type articles on Gtricks and share news on social channels and at newsletter. But, Google did something unexpected that made me write this article.
This week, Google introduced Posts, a feature that might change the course of the search. The company calls it experimental podium where brands and businesses can directly share on search page in real time. Right now, it is available for US presidential candidates, however, we are seeing small businesses like Andrew Jewelers of Buffalo, New York use the Posts profile. Now, they have an unnatural position in results page for “Engagement Rings Buffalo” query.
Promoted content with Post in middle of search results
Concerns
Though Google has an active partnership with Twitter to show latest updates on the search, this new feature supersedes everything. It gives celebrities, brands and businesses power to directly present their content to millions of users. The worrying part is the one-way association of this connection between brands and users. There are no comments, replies or reactions that user can make to these pushed posts. As such, Posts easily becomes a propaganda tool for the corporations.
On the cursory, Posts feels exactly like Google+ except the branding. It behaves in a similar way – making a profile, writing content with images and videos and getting featured on the search page when someone does a related search. Albeit, Google+ logo is stripped, the social part is also removed. Maybe it’s another type of social network after Orkut, Friend Connect and Buzz.
It’s interesting to see how Google wants to host content in their own terms with Posts. And especially after Google is pushing everyone to adapt AMP, their new technology to serve fast and mobile friendly content.
We will keep you updated with major breakthroughs happening with Posts. Till then, enjoy the weekly newsletter –
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