Open source as a search engine optimization tool for software developers

The open source model has a lot of advantages from a commercial point of view: it is increased user loyalty, a more advanced marketing model through crowdsourcing, and additional attention of venture investors, who now consider OS as a more promising area. Now one more thing has been added to all the advantages: it turns out that the release of free software automatically ensures the influx of a large number of users and potential customers through search sites. The fact is that open source directories are highly rated on Google, including outgoing links from there have more weight. In practice, it turns out that for a small start-up company the easiest way to “unwind” and get into the first lines of Google is to publish the code under a free license and register in thematic directories.

The developers themselves recognize this interesting phenomenon and even call it “unfair competitive advantage” over their “closed” competitors who do not release free software.

For example, an unknown South African company KnowledgeTree has released corporate software for business documents. When she published her development under an open license and registered in catalogs, she immediately got into second place at Google on the request [document management software] .