The Google Squeeze (stratechery.com)

Article summary

The article discusses how Google's revenue and profit have increased significantly since 2014, despite initial predictions that the company's relevance had peaked. This growth is attributed to Google's ability to show users more ads, particularly on mobile search results, and its transformation of mobile results to be more useful. The article also explores how Google's dominance in search has affected other companies, such as Expedia and TripAdvisor, which have seen a decline in traffic and revenue due to Google's changes to its search results. Google's actions have led to a shift in the way companies acquire demand, with Google capturing more demand and transforming other companies into suppliers that pay for the service.

Main themes

• Google's revenue growth
• Search engine optimization
• Online advertising
• Tech company dominance
• Impact on other businesses

What commenters say

• Google's increased advertising has made the platform more useful for certain types of searches, such as shopping and travel planning.
• The rise of advertising on platforms like Google and Instagram has led to a decline in the overall user experience.
• Some users have become desensitized to ads on platforms like Instagram and no longer notice them.
• Google's dominance in search has created an uneven playing field for other companies, which are forced to pay for advertising to remain competitive.
• The shift towards paid advertising on platforms like Google has led to a decline in the visibility of organic search results.
• Users are willing to pay for ad-free experiences on platforms like Twitter, but the economics of such a model are unclear.
• Google's actions have disrupted the business models of companies like Expedia and TripAdvisor, which must now adapt to a new reality.
• The increase in advertising on platforms like Google and Instagram has raised concerns about the impact on users and the overall health of the internet ecosystem.