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We know that when Google changes even a pixel on their web site, there are going to be vocal complaints about that change. But one thing Google doesn't seem to be afraid of, in fact, they seem to embrace it, is change. And when Google makes a change, millions and millions of people see it and feel it. Let alone the businesses, large and small, that see a financial impact from that change.
I cannot possibly link to all the times we've covered Google changes here and then the complaints. Of course, the most recent one is the favicon in mobile search that lead to significant complaints in the community.
But you should know that Google is 100% aware of the impact these changes have both on searchers and businesses. Here are some tweets from Gary Illyes from Google who conveys this:
Breaking the internet is not enough?
— Gary "鯨理" Illyes (@methode) May 28, 2019
Politics is not that bad. I found that if your launch measurably improves the experience of users, you'll find support without much hassle. The hard part is that each & every launch may have an effect on billions of queries and you must ensure the effect(s) are largely positive.
— Gary "鯨理" Illyes (@methode) May 29, 2019
Emphasis on "yet".
— Gary "鯨理" Illyes (@methode) May 29, 2019
Another thought: change aversion is a real thing. People don't like it when things change. We know, based on hard numbers that usually we can't disclose, that our launches are positive, but they're charges nonetheless, so some people will speak up against them.
I mean - Google has so much influence on so many people that they must take this responsibility significantly. I know many who read this site believe Google doesn't but I believe in the good in people and I believe many of the people who have executive level jobs at Google do still care about these values.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
