Would the World be a Better Place Without Google and SEO?

So the answer to this question doesn’t really matter because we all know search engines aren’t going anywhere, but it’s fun to contemplate. SEO and catering to Google is becoming such a large part of running a company—and entire department in fact—that it’s easy to stop and wonder why. Is Google really doing more harm than good?

The Defense: The Google and SEO Pros

First and foremost, most people would say that if Google didn’t do it then someone else would. This is undoubtedly true, but lets pretend that nobody else would and that the idea of a search engine didn’t yet exist (for those of you who remember life 14 years ago, you should have plenty to add to this section!). Below are a few pros to the idea:

• The idea of “wondering” would still be in use. People would have to really dig deep to find the answer to a question, so pondering would be more prevalent.
•  People would read more. Trying to find the answer to a question in a book causes someone to look through other information more often; thus helping us learn more and get our heads out of the computer.
• There would be no SEO department, so people would have to go by word of mouth to get recommendations. Whether or not this is a “pro” or a “con,” however, is up for debate.
• It’s quick and easy to find the answer to a question, which helps us improve. It’s easier to build on the information of others when it’s easy to find.

The Prosecution: The Google and SEO Cons

When I Googled “what if there was no Google,” this page was article number three on the search engine and really put my entire article into perspective:

The mere fact that I Googled this question says quite a bit about the addiction that many have to Google, which brings me to a few of my cons:

• People go to Google for everything. It cuts down on the amount of reading and human interaction about different questions.
• Google isn’t always right because we still don’t have the answers to everything. However, because Google is becoming such a large part of our lives, we tend to assume it has all the answers. Of course not everyone buys into this notion, but unfortunately many do.
• The Google algorithm still isn’t perfect (although they’re doing a great job), and there are still sites out there making it to the top of the search engine by using grey and blat hat SEO tactics. This can be misleading.

The Google and SEO Verdict

The truth is that there really is no verdict. For some, Google is a great thing because of the way they use the search engine. They use it to build upon the information of others and open their minds to knew queries they never would have searched for had encyclopedias been the only option. For others, Google might not be so great. Take that great little mom and pop shop for example. If they don’t understand SEO, it’s going to be harder to compete for customers despite the fact that their products are much higher quality than those of the company ranked number one on Google.

What are your thoughts on Google and SEO? Do you have anything to add to the “pros” or the “cons” list? Let us know in the comments below.

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