Is Google Making Life Harder For Aggregators?

[AndyMacLean]

Theres been a bunch of updates recently which have hurt aggregators:

• Reducing the number of search results to 7 for branded search queries

• The DMCA update which penalises those with trademark related takedown requests against them.

• At least 2 'domain diversity' updates, the most recent last week, which seeks to reduce the ability of sites to dominate SERPS e.g. a site which may have 2 search results on page 1 now may have 1.

Plus Its commonly believed that Google favours big brands over smaller brands e.g. Marriott over examplehotelaggregator.com.

Is this a deliberate ploy against aggregators in favour of brands i.e. does Google believe a brand site is a better search result than an aggregator?

A brand site returned above an aggregator for a branded term may be seen by Google as a better fit, a better search result that should be higher. But is that true? Consumers like to see unbiased reviews and lowest prices and that isnt always available at the brand site.

Thoughts please.

[webfeatseo]

I would say so. Google has been taking a lot of actions to bring back better quality results. When you do a search would you rather get the official companies or a site with a news feed or aggregation ran by a 3rd party source?

[AndyMacLean]

"When you do a search would you rather get the official companies or a site with a news feed or aggregation ran by a 3rd party source?"

• As I say in many cases the branded site isnt going to be your first port of call. E.g. Who buys their Wilson tennis racket from Wilson.com when you can get the same product may times cheaper elsewhere (random example, im not picking on Wilson!) and with honest reviews e.g. 'the strings on this racket are poor'?

[BrianCrouch]

This. The aggregator's big win could be fulfilling their role in the form of a media publisher and community hub, serving as a nexus for honest and objective opinions. Aggregators are a form of retailer except that the customer purchase is information exchange. When they abandon this opportunity and instead supply subjective info that doesn't put the consumer first, well, this is what makes the organic results such a polluted mess.

[EGOL]

- Reducing the number of search results to 7 for branded search queries

If  a searcher typs in a branded query then there is a higher probability that his is looking for the brand and not Joe Aggregator.

- The DMCA update which penalises those with trademark related takedown requests against them.

This is good.  Yes!!

- At least 2 'domain diversity' updates, the most recent last week, which seeks to reduce the ability of sites to dominate SERPS e.g. a site which may have 2 search results on page 1 now may have 1.

Enjoy this.   This is actually working against the big brand.

Plus Its commonly believed that Google favours big brands over smaller brands e.g. Marriott over examplehotelaggregator.com.

Sure... most people want something trusted.  They know Marriott.  I you want examplehotelaggregator.com to rank then work on your brand.

Is this a deliberate ploy against aggregators in favour of brands

Only the aggregators are thinking that it is.  The brands are not thinking that way and the average searcher is not thinking that way.

does Google believe a brand site is a better search result than an aggregator?

Yes.

[webfeatseo]

For something a long those lines Google mixes in shopping results to try and bring the best results. But for a hotel kind of search I would much rather get the hotel itself.

[bele]

If Google tried to avoid aggregators & removed 2 domain results from serps, so what will be in the results then?