Roundup: Working With Google As Your Business Partner

This roundup on Google business and marketing services culls articles from a variety of sources, including CNet and the Wall Street Journal, and covers a range of topics, including strategies, trends and tools.

"There are definite benefits to having the most powerful search engine on Earth as a business model. Since Google’s goal is to provide the most relevant, high quality content to Internet users, there isn’t much conflict here so long has your intention is to provide the best, highest quality content related to your product service or other business. But what happens when that big powerful partner is at odds with you and your business or through some mistake or miscalculation, your business is hurt in the process? We look today at the pros and cons of being involved with Google, and why using its resources may be more important to small business than ever.

Trends The google revamp and how it affects small business. A recent change in Google’s algorithm has probably been the single hugest story over the last week with many small businesses that rely on Google results still trying to calibrate the overall impact on their sites. As Scott Jones, chief executive of ChaCha Search Inc. explains , 'Google has an enormous amount of power to make or break businesses.' The question is how this power will be used. WSJ"