This past Monday, August 5, 2024, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta released a monumental 275+ page ruling against Google in a significant antitrust case. The full ruling can be read here.
Summary of the DOJ Google Monopoly Ruling
After having carefully considered and weighed the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. It has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act. (p. 4)
Google has announced its intention to appeal the decision. Following the ruling, Google posted on X, and Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google, was quoted saying:
"This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available. We appreciate the Court’s finding that Google is ‘the industry’s highest quality search engine, which has earned Google the trust of hundreds of millions of daily users,’ that Google ‘has long been the best search engine, particularly on mobile devices,’ ‘has continued to innovate in search’ and that ‘Apple and Mozilla occasionally assess Google’s search quality relative to its rivals and find Google’s to be superior.’ Given this, and that people are increasingly looking for information in more and more ways, we plan to appeal. As this process continues, we will remain focused on making products that people find helpful and easy to use."
The appeal process is expected to take years. So, what does this mean for SEO, Google, and search marketing?
Immediate Impact on SEO and Search Marketing
In the short term, the ruling doesn't change much for SEO practices. However, the long-term implications could be substantial. Google's extensive partnerships, worth billions, with Android, Apple, and other platforms to make Google the default search engine might face challenges. While Google is acknowledged as the highest quality search engine, it may become harder for them to maintain default status across various devices and platforms.
Potential Changes for SEO Professionals
The most significant impact on SEO could be the necessity to broaden the scope of optimizations – but is that really different than yesterday? SEO professionals might need to optimize not just for Google but for other search engines and platforms as well. This diversification could ultimately benefit the SEO industry by reducing over-reliance on a single search engine.
Implications for Paid Search
The ruling could have a more profound impact on Google's paid search business. A reduction in Google's dominance might lead to lower Cost-Per-Click (CPC) rates for marketers, making paid search advertising more accessible and affordable.
Conclusion
While the immediate effects of the ruling are minimal, the long-term consequences could reshape the landscape of SEO and search marketing. SEO professionals should stay informed and adaptable as the situation evolves, potentially preparing for a more diversified search engine market.
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