Google Launches Yahoo-Google Facts Site
Google has launched a new
informational site designed to tell its story about why there’s no need
to fear an ad partnership between it and Yahoo. Within the site, you’ll find lots
of information about the deal except for one key fact: when exactly does it
start? The launch of the site suggests any day now.
Here’s what’s on the site:
- Facts
page: Why Google says ad prices won’t be set between it and Yahoo; how
Yahoo should earn more off the deal; how Yahoo won’t be able to see prices
at Google; how Google & Yahoo will set minimum bids independently and much
more.
- What
People Are Saying: Quotes from advertisers, publishers, ad agencies,
commentators and others generally in support of the deal, or at least
explaining why it is not necessarily a bad thing.
- What
The Deal Means For Advertisers: One page pitch that the deal means
advertisers will be able to reach more people efficiently.
- Why
The Deal Is Good For Competition: One page pitch that this helps keep
Yahoo as an independent company and that Yahoo is pledging to reinvest the
money it earns to improve and compete against Google.
- Terms Of The
Deal: One page summary that Yahoo can carry Google’s search and
contextual ads through an initial 4 year deal, renewable for two 3 year
periods. There’s much more that could have been added here such as revenue
guarantees. See our
Yahoo’s Google &
Microsoft Deals, Side-By-Side post for some of the stuff that’s not
included.
Voluntary Delay For Regulators: Explains the Google view that
regulatory approval is not needed but that it voluntarily decided to wait
3 1/2 months from
when the deal was announced on June 12. It notes that though the deal
doesn’t involve any of Google’s or Yahoo’s European operations, Google is
"cooperating" with the European Union, as it does a review.
From the home page, a number of other things are listed. Google
especially highlights a New York Times
commentary that came out this weekend saying there was nothing to fear
about the deal. Written by Randall
Stross, I saw some people poke that the piece should have been disclosed
that Stross is working on a book about Google. Personally, I didn’t see this
as an issue — in fact, writing a book means he might have better
understanding of the situation and so write a better commentary.
Google also highlights a
blog post about a
SearchIgnite
study that concluded prices will go up 22 percent on Yahoo. Google calls
the study flawed.
The site also has video content along with a slide deck on the deal.
Check out slide six. It was this slide that I saw two weeks ago from Yahoo,
showing me how Yahoo will benefit from new ads it doesn’t have for terms
like "red roses birmingham alabama."
My post from this weekend,
Yahoo’s Poor Ad
Targeting & Thoughts On Google-Yahoo, explains how Yahoo might indeed
get new ads out of this but not new advertisers. Most of those advertising
on Google for that term also advertise already on Yahoo. Yahoo just uses
really bad broad matching technology, something that shouldn’t require
months of improvement and a Google deal to fix.
Having said that, my piece also gets into why I generally think the deal
does make sense to go ahead — why prices won’t be fixed in the way some
people are saying. I didn’t get into part of the trade-off I think Google
should provide to help engender more trust: greater transparency about
pricing, if it goes ahead. In particular, I think advertisers should be able
to know exactly how much they paid for each and every click. I also think
Google needs to provide an interface where anyone can see exactly how much
any advertiser is paying for any particular search.
Sadly, the fact site lacks the answer to the most important question.
When do the ads start on Yahoo? I’ve asked Google for an exact date. We’ve
had 3 1/2 months pass already from the announcement, so technically, they
should go live at any moment. The launch of this site makes me think that’s
about to happen.
Postscript: Google tells me consistent to what they’ve been saying recently, the ads will go live “at some point in early October.”
Taken From : http://searchengineland.com/google-launches-yahoo-google-facts-site-14819.php
