Microsoft has accused Google of biasing search results on its internet search engine Google.com in the European Union, where Microsoft is struggling to gain market share, despite the incorporation of the tools from the formerly Norwegian headquartered FAST into its Bing search engine, and at least $1 billion (Ovum estimate) of both development and advertising investment.
So has Google been ‘skewing’ search results? I think the answer is ‘why wouldn’t you?’, given that 97% of your income is derived from internet advertising? And of course this raises the questions ‘don’t you do it too?’ and ‘have you been copying your rival’s search results?’
Is internet search agnostic and unbiased? – No, it can’t be. Those who provide internet search engines derive their revenues from the advertisers.
The total value of internet advertising is huge, and this is a territory that both Google and Microsoft need to dominate. Irrespective of the eventual EC adjudication, this war will continue for a long time yet.
By Mike Davis, analyst, Ovum
Why wouldn’t you? Because users want you to be as objective as possible. Google stringently denies all biasing – and for good reasons. (I have no opinion on whether they’re guilty as charged – I’m simply pointing out why they won’t want to be seen as guilty).
What kind of expert reaction is this? Expert in what? Those are 4 shallow paragraphs with no research, no facts, just FUD. And throwing in the copying of search result statement with no context and explanation shows the author doesn’t understand squad about search technology.