Google vs. Publishers: Conflict of Interest or Abuse of Dominant Position?
Let's take a look at a recent incident that caused quite a stir in the publishing community. The publisher of Travel Lemming has claimed that its content has been "stolen" by Google. He showed a screenshot of a Google search that used content from his site about things to do in Denver as a rich result without having to go to the publisher's site.
"Google is now stealing their own brand of Travel Lemming search (even through site search). They're taking our listing — INCLUDING MY ORIGINAL PHOTOS 📸 — and presenting it as a rich result so people don't skip over. I'm literally ON that Red Rocks photo!…"
This applied not only to branded and site searches. Google also competed with the publisher by using the publisher's content for common keyword searches such as "Mexico Travel Tips."
🚀 The publisher shared a screenshot of SERPs with a large search function that uses all of the publisher's content. He noted that Google "does this on all travel searches - unbranded and branded." He claimed that as a result, Google reproduces an entire blog post, including the "stolen" photos.
- 📌 Google's response to this was unexpected. SearchLiaison (Danny Sullivan) explained that a rich result that uses all of a publisher's content also links to the publisher's web page. He didn't claim that Google was right, but expressed sympathy for the publisher's plight.
🚀 Danny Sullivan, unlike many other Googlers, has been a publisher for many years, so he probably understands better than anyone what it's like to be on the other side of the Google fence.
"Hi Nate. This case was brought to my attention. I'll pass the feedback on to the team. Pretty sure this isn't a new feature. You're talking about it being an AI response, and I'm pretty sure that's not a case. It's a way to refine the original query and see more results. Your image is there with credit. If you click, a larger preview will appear, and that allows people to visit the site. Personally, I'm not a fan of the preview before clicking. I'm think it should click directly on the site (feedback I shared earlier, and I'll do it again). But that's how Google images work, which helps people decide if the image is relevant to their search query. Click on it, people get to your site."
FAQ
Can Google use content from publishers without their permission?
In accordance with Google's rules, they may display fragments of sites in their search results. However, it is debatable how far the use of publishers' content can go.
Can publishers prevent Google from using their content?
Publishers can use a robots.txt file to prevent Google from indexing their pages, but this also means they won't appear in search results.
Is this fair to publishers?
This is an object of discussion. Many publishers believe that Google is taking away their traffic by using their content to provide answers right on the search results page.
Статтю згенеровано з використанням ШІ на основі зазначеного матеріалу, відредаговано та перевірено автором вручну для точності та корисності.
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-responds-to-accusations-of-stealing-publishers-content/504484/
