According to a report by
The Information, Google's attempts to reduce its dependence on Apple’s Safari browser have been sluggish. As Google awaits the outcome of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit, its existing arrangement with Apple is at risk.
The current agreement, which designates Google as the default search engine on Safari for iPhones, could be jeopardized if the ruling goes against Google. To mitigate this risk, Google has been urging iPhone users to switch to its Google Search or Chrome apps. However, these efforts have seen limited success.
Modest Gains in App Adoption
Over the past five years, Google has only managed to increase the percentage of iPhone searches conducted through its apps from 25% to the low 30s. Although this represents some progress, it falls short of Google's internal target of reaching 50% by 2030.
The company has utilized various marketing strategies, including campaigns highlighting features like Lens image search and improvements to the Discover feed. Despite these efforts, Safari’s preinstalled status on iPhones remains a significant obstacle.
Financial Stakes and Market Dynamics
The financial implications of this ongoing struggle are considerable for both Google and Apple. In 2023, Google reportedly paid over $20 billion to Apple
to remain the default search engine on Apple devices. By increasing the number of users on its apps, Google aims to reduce these payments and gain leverage in future negotiations.
Antitrust Lawsuit and Potential Consequences
The ongoing antitrust lawsuit poses a threat to Google’s business model. If Google loses the case, it could lose access to approximately 70% of searches conducted on iPhones, which account for about half of the smartphones in the U.S. This outcome could significantly impact Google’s mobile search advertising revenue, which exceeded $207 billion in 2023.
New Initiatives and Leadership
In response to these challenges, Google has brought in new talent, including former Instagram and Yahoo product executive Robby Stein. Stein is now leading efforts to attract iPhone users to Google’s mobile apps, exploring innovative ways to enhance the apps, potentially using generative AI.
Looking Ahead
With the antitrust ruling looming, Google’s ability to attract users to its apps will be crucial in maintaining its search market share. It remains to be seen how Google will navigate these challenges and whether it can reduce its reliance on Safari.
The coming months will be critical in determining the future landscape of mobile search and Google's place within it.
Source:
SEJ
Claim Your Google Maps & Enhance Your Google Business Listing
As a marketing leader deeply invested in the success of local businesses, I cannot stress enough the urgency for enhancing your Google Maps, Google Business Listings and Google My Business (GMB) profiles - often times you can do this all at the same time. These tools are not just optional enhancements but critical components of your online presence that directly impact your business's visibility, reputation, and ultimately, your bottom line.
Google Maps ranking should be a top priority for local businesses aiming to attract new customers and enhance their online presence. In 2021, the app was downloaded
25.5 million times by U.S. smartphone users, far surpassing any other app in the category.
As more people rely on Google Maps to find local businesses and the use of voice search continues to rise, understanding how to improve your ranking on Google Maps is a vital skill for your local SEO strategy.
Investing in your Google Maps ranking can yield significant benefits. The difference between ranking first and fourth can be crucial for your online visibility and overall success.
Note: If you rank 20+,
Google doesn't even recognize your business. Customers will never find you; and you will never be able to establish the trust and credibility needed to grow your business.
The biggest Google Maps ranking factors
According to Google, the three most important Google Maps ranking factors are relevance, distance and prominence.
Relevant results are those which closely match the search query. This is why it’s so important for your Google Business Profile to have complete, accurate and detailed information about where you’re located and the services you offer.
A user’s distance from your business also factors heavily in your profile’s ranking, as does whether or not your business address falls within the borders of a local search area (as delineated on Google Maps). For example, a restaurant located within the boundaries of Glenville is more likely to rank higher for “restaurants in Glenville” than one just outside the town limits.
Prominence is a combination of a business’ reputation, online presence, star rating, SEO… essentially any signal that tells Google Maps how aware people are of you. This is where local map SEOs tend to focus their efforts, because there’s plenty that can be done to actively influence the ranking factor, such as campaigning for reviews, posting content and building links.
Managing review generation campaigns is far less time-consuming when you use the
GMB Top 3 Listing Management tool. For a 5-mile location radius, you can further strengthen your prominence and boost how you rank in the map pack (also called the “local pack”, “snack pack”, and “Google 3-pack”), so you can reliably track the results of your optimization efforts.
I encourage you to learn more about the GMB Top 3 Listings Management,
schedule a call on my calendar.
It's one of the most efficient, affordable, and effective marketing investments you can make.
Your Fractional CMO,
Emilia Andrews
