And you thought this type of caffeine had a big effect on business productivity.

There’s no doubt about the fact that Google is the go-to search engine for a vast majority of the world. While most casual users do appreciate the power inherent with being the world’s most-used search engine, it’s a little crazy to think of the extent this power goes to. Some people use Google to get fast cash, but there are long-term business plans and jobs that are built around the way Google works.

The mammoth search engine is introducing Google Caffeine, which the company says will increase the search engine’s speed as well as change page rankings, the order in which pages appear on Google after users type in search terms. This has ramifications for several types of businesses, not to mention individual jobs. Let’s look at a few categories of businesses that could be affected by Google Caffeine.

Google

Of course, the company is releasing Google Caffeine for its own reasons. Even though the search engine is by far the most-used in the world right now, that doesn’t mean it’s untouchable. The Guardian reports:

Despite that lead, a series of threats have emerged recently that have seen the company redouble its efforts. Chief among them is Microsoft’s continuing effort to break into the top tier of the search business, which has so far included rebranding its search engine as Bing.com and scoring a deal to take control of Yahoo’s search business.

Other possible contenders for the future of the business have emerged, too, including a “knowledge engine” called Wolfram Alpha, designed by British-born physicist Stephen Wolfram; and the emergence of so-called “real-time search” through websites like Facebook and Twitter.

Built in to the reality that Google Caffeine is aimed at keeping the top search engine in that position, it carries ramifications for Google’s competition.

Sales and marketing firms

Everyone knows that to make money, you must have a product or service to sell. Getting a high page ranking on Google is a huge advantage for anyone who offers products and services online. People used to crack open a phone book when they wanted to order pizza, find a mechanic or call the movie theater to find out movie times.

Now, people go to Google and type in “mechanic” or “pizza.” So firms hire people who focus on getting their business to pop up as close to the top as possible on the Google search engine when people type in those search terms. PC World writes:

For those businesses that live-and-die based on Google-generated traffic, this is potentially a very big deal.

In a blog post announcing the project, Google suggested that Caffeine could change search results, which raises the prospect of companies’ needing to change their search engine optimization (SEO) to protect their Google ranking.

The flip side

Just as Google Caffeine has inherent ramifications for its competitors, the potential effects on page rankings could affect SEO specialists as well as the people who cater to them. Yep, that’s a business too. PC World writes:

This also means a field day for those selling quick fixes that will supposedly give companies a top Google ranking. There’s nothing quite like something most people don’t understand, but that can dramatically effect your business, to give some people anxiety.

Eric Schmidt CEO of Google

In response to the economy, small businesses are looking to the installment loan. Like all businesses in the economy, small businesses are stretching to find customers. Unfortunately with today’s market, customers are hard to come by.

Most Americans are feeling the recession one way or another.Whether it’s a job loss, cut in pay or adjustable interest rate increase, people are having to be more innovative than ever to make payments. This frugality is affecting small businesses dramatically because with people cutting their spending, businesses are having to cut back also.

It’s not always possible for the small business to cut back without utilizing lay-offs and serious financial restructuring. This puts more Americans in the position of having to strictly budget themselves. It’s a vicious circle that is only hampering the economy from recovery.

Google and the Economy

“No company is recession-proof,” stated Google CEO Eric Schmidt. “We are absolutely feeling the impact.” In the beginning of 2009 Google was able to make a profit, but only because of cut-back tactics like lay-offs and winnowing expenses. The company is doing better than most businesses because their marketing is minimal cost compared to media other companies use. But doing “better” isn’t the same as thriving. The company recently experienced two-rounds of job cuts and shaved its capital expenditures down by 40%.

Google is a household word and has made headlines for their tremendous revenue, almost all of which is from advertisements. Executives are predicting that the company’s Q2 and Q3 will not revive since the past has shown that these are weak times in their growth. With a recession added to the mix, Google is expecting to have a lean 6-months to get through.

In addition, consumers are being more and more cautious with spending and taking time to shop around for good deals. Google relies on ad placing by consumers, but the amounts of clicks to turn into profits is drastically lower than it has been. For example, it now takes 15 to 20 clicks to sell, as opposed to the normal 10 to 15 in the past. This consumer wariness caused price per click on search ads to fall 13% in Q1.

Where and when will small businesses find relief?

Installment loans may be the most viable option for small businesses since any real improvement in the recession is estimated to happen mid-2010. So for more than a year, businesses are going to be forced to maneuver through the economic struggle and find ways to cover their debt. With new customers hard to find and old customers cutting back, income is threatened.

The only relief is to find non-traditional lenders and take advantage of their availability. Non-traditional lenders work with customers to create manageable and quick loans that are not dependent on credit ratings or collateral. Customers can apply easily and their application status is almost immediate. If qualified, getting money can be a life-saver to the small business that has no other options for funding due to the market.

The cash crunch

If an industry giant like Google is suffering, all corporations need to be careful. Small businesses are feeling the cash crunch more than ever in today’s economy and looking for innovative ways of managing debt. The installment loan may be the easiest answer.

Despite more drastic turns like lay-offs and expense-cutting, businesses are still finding it difficult to manage. Creative funding options offer a much-needed relief to organizations in need of help meeting their budgetary deadlines.