The power of Google

Google will celebrate it’s 25th birthday in 2023. In that time it has grown into one of the most powerful companies in the world. Bob Hardus, independent search marketing consultant, is critical in his recently published book 'The Google formula': will Google still have the best answer? And what will happen when Google connects all its services and user data with the latest AI?
Conversations with ex-Google employees, programmers and policy makers, among others, show that Google is already much further than we think. Some of his findings and concerns:

SEO: the magic formula

Being at the top in Google equals quality, reliability and profit maximization. But in the meantime, taxi drivers are battling with Google Adwords, and politicians are letting their past shine. If you search for a money keyword, the first page that Google shows is not even objective at all. There is a strategy of manipulation behind every search term and every ranking.

All our data is worth money

Everything we do on our phones and in our internet browser is stored. Forever. From a search to a video call and buying a pair of shoes. The more data Google can collect, the more ads can be sold and the more money can be made.

Is healthcare losing its grip on patient privacy?

In the Netherlands, Google is conducting research into Parkinson's patients together with Radboudumc in Nijmegen. The ultimate owner of the research data is Google, which can also lay claim to the millions that the new treatment methods can generate.

Cars with self-learning algorithms

If things go the same way as with our mobile phones, our cars will soon also be driving with Google under the hood. With Android Automotive, Google will soon not only control your car, but it will also know where, when and how fast you are driving.

Is Google getting a tighter grip on our data, or is there another possibility? The rise of TikTok, the integration of competitor ChatGPT with Microsoft's search engine and the decline in online advertising revenues show that Google's position may not be as unassailable as thought...