Nobody likes a schoolyard bully, but it seems the smaller kids are finally banding together to demand long awaited justice. Since the sad day in June of 2000 when Yahoo surrendered to Google, officially declaring defeat by allowing Google to become their default search provider, it has been a one-sided battle with Google's dominance smothering all competitor search engines. In the period between October 2006 to July 2010, Google's market share in search rose from 38.6 percent above its closest competitor (Yahoo) to a 57 percent lead. Statistically there has been almost no competition to stand up to Google for many years, and as happens with a bully when no one fights back; there is a whole lot of lunch money taken from kids with unhappy faces.

Google's Control of the Web
While Google used fair tactics in its developing years, its tenure at the top of the hill has devolved into strong-hand tactics and ever-evolving algorithm changes. Google adds and removes pages from its index on a daily basis at its own discretion, which intended or not has the effect of manipulating search results. It is these kinds of tactics that go unexplained and commonly unchallenged that strengthen the resolve of the undisciplined bully in his ability to wreak havoc in the schoolyard.

Google's "Clear as Mud" Rules
Businesses and web users in general are tired of being bullied, especially in a time of economic downturn. The stranglehold that Google maintains on businesses on the web has forced them to evolve to pursue poorly defined rules and secretive algorithm changes that are clear as mud, and that distort search ranking and positioning. Everyone has had to evolve to do what Google wants, even if Google doesn't make it clear precisely what it wants.

The Bully's Weakness
Finally there are some kids at school who have had enough, and are positioning themselves to hold on to their lunch money. Social media has sprung up over the past few years to grab and even overtake market share from Google. Facebook and Twitter are offering considerable challenges to Google's dominance. Google is no longer able to ignore social media as it has in the past. On March 13, 2010 Facebook achieved a milestone by exceeding Google to become the most visited website. The bully's vulnerability has been exposed.

The Door Has Been Opened
Social media has finally turned a corner, opening doors that have been closed for years because of Google's formerly unchallenged dominance. This represents a new opportunity for business owners who have been frustrated with trying to keep up with Google's ever-changing algorithms and rules. As social media rises into the mainstream, it poses a significant challenge to Google's power and control over the web. At last there is a way to communicate more about who you are, and what you do, without being buried on the 23rd page of Google's search results. The door has been opened to friends, colleagues, and customers to find one another without a bully to stand in the way.

Standing Up to the Bully
In reality social media is the tool that is allowing the Internet to evolve, as people have grown frustrated with the drab results and allusive rules that Google enforces, yet never adequately explains. It is the people who are standing up to the bully -- connecting with one another in a whole new way, with direct connections and opportunities to forge alliances and truly beneficial interactions. This is the opportunity to remind search engines of what their purpose is...to find pages that people are looking for, and to stand aside from personal interactions and business matters. It is time for the bully to get a black eye, that reminds him that he is at school to learn, like everyone else...not to push people around and make rules of his own.

People, Not Algorithms
Social media is revolutionizing the use of the web. It is as though the light has been turned on, and everyone is finally able to see what they were blinded from before. Social media is the means by which the people choose who they will interact with, rather than being fed a list of 10 rather unsuitable choices on a search page. Social media is an opportunity to be involved with people, not algorithms. It is people who are changing the way the Internet is used, and that makes all the difference.

Moving Forward
There are millions of people already involved in social media and many more joining every day. The rapidly increasing following and population of social media users can greatly reduce the world's dependence on Google for website traffic, while also giving people the ability to connect with others. Much of the success in expanding social media and its advantages depends on how it is used. As in the early days of the Internet, there are many users who do not yet understand how to use social media effectively. There are some users whose only concern is to increase their number of "followers," or those who are added to their friend count. In some cases these people fail to enjoy the true benefit of social media, as they never really interact with the people who have been added to their lists.

Using Social Media Effectively
Using social media effectively, and in a way that will tame the bully in a permanent and definable way requires social media users to take time and "socialize" with the people they meet up with. It is difficult to make lasting friendships or meaningful interactions when passing by once and never dealing with a person again. To truly forge alliances that will force the bully to stop picking on his classmates, people need to take time to talk, interact, and plan together. Numbers are great, but it takes more than a bunch of individuals to beat a bully, it takes a collective who shares a common goal...to keep its lunch money.

Enjoy social media. Make the most of all it has to offer. Form meaningful and beneficial relationships that help others as well as yourself. There is so much opportunity for good in social media. At last, there is a way to become free from the bully's control forever by uniting with others and sharing advantages that everyone should have had all along.

References:

Top Ten Search Engines - Top Ten SE's, Accessed August 15, 2010
http://www.seoconsultants.com/search-engines/

Facebook Reaches Top Ranking in US, Heather Dougherty, Accessed August 15, 2010
http://weblogs.hitwise.com/heather-dougherty/2010/03/facebook_reaches_top_ranking_i.html