Continuous tension between Apple and Google is a known fact. The latest patent issues are just some of them. Steve Jobs blamed Google for ripping off iPhone, and now Apple products (namely iPhone, iPod, and iPad) will no longer include YouTube and Google Map as built in apps.
Since Google is the search engine giant that dominates the market, it has a lot of power in digital world. Will Google use its search engine popularity to discourage people from buying iPhone 5? I think not, at least openly. However, one pattern looks suspicious. Since Apple’s announcement of iPhone 5, a simple Google search for keyword “iPhone 5” yields many results. But official iPhone 5 page (apple.com or apple.com/iphone/) is not even on the first page of the results. This may simply be a result of the search algorithm’s structure, but we found it interesting.
Notes:
- Results are unpersonalized
- Using iPad, iPhone, Mac or PC yield very similar results
- U.S.A based search
September 16, 2012 at 11:53 AM
I tried it, and on both normal and ignocnito modes in Chrome (as well as on Safari), the Apple page was the 1st result listed after the News section.
September 16, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Hmm, “ignocnito”, by which I mean incognito!
September 16, 2012 at 5:56 PM
on the second page for me
September 16, 2012 at 5:57 PM
this is not google’s fault. apple should focus more on seo.
September 17, 2012 at 7:57 PM
I just checked to: First result after the news
September 17, 2012 at 8:04 PM
Windows XP / Firefox:
Second page
September 17, 2012 at 8:17 PM
Very strange. For me third page first result.
September 22, 2012 at 9:55 PM
First make sure you turn off Google’s personalization feature by appending &PWS=0 to the end of the URL and then click enter again. For example:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=iphone+5&oq=iphone+5&PWS=0 otherwise we all be seeing slightly different results based on sites we’ve visited, are popular with others we’re connected to, etc
Then consider how absolutely absurd it is to think Google would go monkey with their algo to make sure the official iPhone 5 URL / site isn’t listed in the top 10. I really enjoy this site but I’ve never read something more ludicrous then this idea that Google might be punishing Apple by not listing their main URL in the top 10. Many of us who know even basic SEO could explain the many reasons why it might not be – but it actually is listed right at the top. If I wrote this post I’d follow up with an oops – I should have thought to ask myself if this made any sense to post once the stuff in my pipe cooled down a little.