Google and Small Businesses

Slashdot links to an illustrative USA Today story about how Google rankings affect small businesses:

Co-owners Ken and Tom Carlton spent $200 a month to get an ad for their business to pop up when someone searched for “roll forming,” a process that turns metal into different shapes. “Within days,” says Ken Carlton, the ad “generated millions and millions of dollars in sales. … I shudder to think of where we’d be … without Google.” Sales for the 26-employee firm are up 35%.

As is often the case, the Slashdot discussion is an informative as the article it references.