Google is not too big to fail.

Google is not too big to fail. Yahoo and Microsoft could still beat them if they would go back to basics. First, recognize that small business ad placement built Overture, which Yahoo purchased to get into the search ad business, and second it was small business ads that propelled Google to what it is today. It was thousands of small businesses that spent $500 per month to get some clicks rather than advertise in the local newspaper that built Google. Now, in my view Google has forgotten its entrepreneurial beginnings and is stumbling. And Bing is unsure where to focus.

Google is stumbling because they have made ad purchase and selection cumbersome. I placed keyword ads on Google several years ago and it would take me 15 minutes to select my keywords and get my ads running. Not today. The interface is now constructed for the large advertiser with mega bucks to spend and a staff of 5 who only work on Adwords. It is a shame.

If they must cater to the big spenders, then have two interfaces one for the million dollar a month business with a staff of 10 and an interface for the small fellow who simply wants to place his ads, spend $500 per month and get back to the daily task of operating the business. Small business does not have the luxury of a large advertising staff. In small business, the CEO picks the keywords, designs the ads and pays the money.

Further, “Google customer service” is the new ubiquitous oxymoron phrase that replaces the oft used military intelligence. If you want help from Google, you will talk to a database that will search your email for keywords and then respond accordingly with more instructions that matched the database automatic-answering template, but did not answer your questions. Frustration personified. Not like the early days of Google.

Message to Yahoo and Bing. Go back to the easy to use interface of several years ago and tailor your interface and your customer service to the 20 million small businesses who want to use Web based ads rather than the Yellow pages, but do not use ad-speak-campaign-language. They want to give you their ad money - make it easy for them, the way Google and Overture used too. By the way, just half of the small businesses is a $60 billion dollar market so do not scoff at the size of their monthly ad expenditure. They are chomping at the bit to cut their local untraceable-unmeasurable newspaper ads budget to zero. Help them.

Even though Yahoo and Bing have failed to become too big, they have a real opportunity to show that Google is not too big to fail.

Let’s review this blog in 2 years. Stay tuned.