Search Engine Land » Google: Partnerships

Google, Mozilla Renew Firefox Search Deal For 3 More Years

Matt McGee — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:22:19 +0000

Google and Mozilla have struck a deal that renews their agreement making Google the default search engine in Firefox browsers.

No financial terms were announced, but Mozilla’s blog post says the agreement extends the companies’ agreement “for at least three additional years.”

The renewal comes about three weeks after the previous contract expired. The two companies previously had another three-year deal that expired at the end of November. A couple quotes from the Mozilla announcement:

“Under this multi-year agreement, Google Search will continue to be the default search provider for hundreds of millions of Firefox users around the world,” said Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla.

“Mozilla has been a valuable partner to Google over the years and we look forward to continuing this great partnership in the years to come,” said Alan Eustace, Senior Vice President of Search, Google.

The deal’s importance to Mozilla can hardly be understated. Earlier this year, the company revealed that 98% of its revenue comes from search royalties.

Postscript, December 22: As we’ve reported on Marketing Land, reports are circulating today that the Google-Mozilla is triple the amount that Google spent in 2010 to be the default search engine in Firefox.

98% Of Mozilla’s $121 Million In Revenue Comes From Search Royalties

Barry Schwartz — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:39:30 +0000

Mozilla released its annual report (PDF) yesterday and reports came in that 98% of the foundation’s revenue comes directly from search partners, including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.

Mozilla said it earned $121.1 million in revenue in 2010, up 19.3% from 2009′s $101.5 million. Even with the growth of Google Chrome, Mozilla increased revenues through this model in 2010; will it in 2011?

Mozilla said:

The majority of Mozilla’s revenue continues to be generated from the search functionality included in our Mozilla’s Firefox product through all major search partners including Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Amazon, eBay and others.

Google and Mozilla’s search partnership deal is up for renewal this November, after extending their deal three years ago. We have to assume the deal will be renewed, despite some tension between the two organizations.

Sina Corp, Large Chinese Portal, Drops Google As Search Provider

Barry Schwartz — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:05:22 +0000

Sina Replaces Google Search Engine On Portal from the Wall Street Journal reports Google has just lost a major search syndication deal with one of Chinese largest portals.

In 2007, Sina Corp partnered with Google, where Google would power the news, ads and search results for the huge Chinese portal. That deal has ended and now Sina dropped Google’s search results in favor for their own.

The search deal between Sina Corp and Google ended this month, so Sina built their own search technology, which sorts search results under categories such as news, blogs and music.

“While we can’t comment on specific partnerships, we announced last year that over time we would not be syndicating censored search to partners in China after fulfilling our contractual commitments,” said Google spokeswoman Jennie Johnson.

Google’s search share of revenue in China’s continues to drop. In the last three months of 2010, Google fell to 19.6% from 21.6% in the third quarter and from a peak of 35.6% in the last three months of 2009, according to Beijing research firm Analysys International. The fall continues as Google and China’s relationship continues to falter over privacy, transparency, censorship and allegations of hack attempts.

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Google Plays More Involved Matchmaker Between Advertisers And Agencies

Pamela Parker — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:22:42 +0000

Google has implemented changes to Google Partner Search — the index where advertisers can find certified agencies to manage their AdWords campaigns — to make it easier for the two parties to get in contact.

The company has now added the ability for advertisers to fill out a form on the agencies’ profile page on Google, which is then forwarded to the agency as a lead. Previously, advertisers had to go to the agencies’ web sites themselves and search for contact information.

Agencies will have a lead management interface, where they can keep track of incoming communications and act upon them. They will also be able to track lead sources and conversion rates.

“We’re making this change in response to both advertiser and certified partner feedback that they’d like to see improvements to the lead management process, as well as the request process for inquiring clients,” Google wrote in a blog post.

If you’re an agency, Google recommends you ensure your profile is up to date, with contact information and appropriate minimum and maximum budget levels you will manage. It’s recommended that agencies that operate in multiple countries maintain separate profile pages for each of these markets, so prospective clients can easily find the agency. To take this route, agencies need to have at least one certified person in each country.

Once Condemned Google Now Hailed By Publishers For “One Pass”

Greg Sterling — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:23:49 +0000

Earlier this week Apple introduced its long-awaited in-app subscription service for publishers. As part of that arrangement Apple wants its standard 30 percent cut of iTunes/app revenue. However it threw a bone to publishers by allowing all revenue from subscriptions initiated outside the iTunes environment to be kept by publishers. Many publishers are now angry that Apple wants part of their subscription dollars and wants to get between them and their customers (once again).

Almost like a predator lying in wait, the very next day Google pounced and announced One Pass, an open system in which Google takes only 10 percent and allows publishers access to much more data about users than Apple provides. “Google One Pass is a payment system that enables publishers to set the terms for access to their digital content,” reads the tagline.

It’s another classic Apple vs. Google battle (closed vs “open”), with Google being seen as a much better option by some publishers.

Google’s Great Timing

The Google announcement, roughly 24 hours after Apple’s, seems also like a highly calculated PR maneuver that makes the Google system look very attractive by comparison. Had Google introduced One Pass before Apple or in the absence of any Apple subscription announcement it would not look as sexy I suspect. (Google has been working on the content payments platform for at least a year.) As GigaOM’s Matthew Ingram astutely points out One Pass resembles other online content payment platforms that have met with little or no success in the recent past.

The difference between Google One Pass and pre-existing content-payments platforms is that One Pass will work for tablets and smartphones (“all devices”). It’s not clear, however, whether publishers can use One Pass to generate subscriptions that can then be viewed or accessed via iPad apps, though I assume the answer is “yes.” That would be amusing: Publishers all using Google One Pass to generate subscriptions on their websites that are then consumed mostly on the iPad.

Irony: Google To The Rescue

What’s ironic to me is the way that Google is now being embraced and celebrated for its new publisher-friendly platform when it has been derided and bashed by content publishers and newspapers in particular for allegedly “destroying” their business model. Google has consistently said it wants to support traditional journalism and now is putting its platform where its mouth is, so to speak. Publishers signing on at launch with One Pass include several German publications and US publishers Media General, Bonnier and Rust Communications.

However at the “consumer moment of truth” One Pass might not turn out to be quite as publisher friendly as publishers think. One Pass is “powered by Google Checkout,” which has had mixed success to date in generating revenues for Android developers. Google and carriers have been scrambling to add additional payments options to mollify unhappy developers.

As an aside, One Pass in addition to helping publishers and supporting “quality journalism” serves Google’s longer-term interest in bringing more consumers into its payments fold. That in turn serves multiple objectives for Google including improving Android Market paid monetization.

The Apple Ecosystem

Apple’s iTunes has more than 160 million users in 23 countries, according to Apple in Q3 last year. There’s much less “friction” in iTunes than in the Android market today. There’s also a stronger “culture” of paid apps in the iOS Apps Store, although paid apps are growing on Android. Using myself as a focus group of one, I’ve bought dozens of iPhone and iPad apps but purchased only two Android apps.

Apple’s superior ability to monetize apps for developers (to date) and the “culture” it has created around paid apps among iOS users argues that publishers may find higher sales via iTunes than Google’s One Pass. We’ll have to wait and see of course. But that’s my hypothesis.

Google Launches A Worldwide Science Fair For Teens

Matt McGee — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:41:00 +0000

So you or your child has already conquered the annual school science fair? And you’ve even dominated at the regional and state levels, too? And you’re thinking to yourself, “We need a real challenge. Competing against Johnny down the block was too easy.”

Well, Google has something just for you: the first Google Science Fair.

Any student from 13 to 18 years old can enter, no matter where you call home. The only requirements are a computer, Internet access, and a web browser (because you’ll begin by building and submitting the science project online). Registration is open until April 4th.

In its announcement, Google reminds us that Google itself was basically a science project developed by its founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, way back when.

The Google Science Fair is a partnership between Google and CERN, The LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American.

Google Partner Brings Big Data To Product Search

Greg Sterling — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:03:18 +0000

Google has famously undertaken a high-profile initiative to show users where they can buy products offline in local stores. It has also launched a very non-traditional (for Google) shopping site, Boutiques.com. There have been additional improvements in the Google Product Search destination site, including more product-browse capabilities. Then there are product listing ads, which expanded to all US advertisers last November.

In other words, across the board in product search/discovery and product-related advertising, there’s considerable activity going on at Google. You can now add to all that a new push for more complete and accurate product data through a partnership with a company called Edgenet.

Edgenet manages data feeds from product suppliers and distributors, as well as retailers. I had never heard of the company before but I would now put it on the Google acquisition watch list. Here’s how Edgenet describes the benefits of the new Google relationship itself:

This represents the first time that suppliers will have the ability to provide product data to Google and have it checked for quality and represents a unique opportunity to differentiate a supplier from their competition . . . Products found online have an average of seven attributes for shoppers to discover. Product data from Edgenet’s Ezeedata service have an average of over 100 features and greater marketability…

This deal is about getting more product data directly from their sources and expanding the number of specific attributes or features exposed to consumers (“long tail”). Google pointed in its blog post about the new relationship to a product page as the place where the new/better data will show up:

It immediately makes me think about SEO and wonder how the improved data and product pages might show up in search results. Here’s what a search results page for “Canon digital camera” looks like today:

The Google Product Search images in the center of the page are pretty powerful and eye-catching. So are the product listing ads on the right.

Aside from the inventory data I see a very strong analogy between Product Search and Local at Google, with improved product pages (like Place Pages) becoming a strong or “go to” source of product information for consumers. In addition, the prominence of product images and local availability information in search results will likely mean more product-related traffic heading over to Google Product Search just as more “page 2″ local business lookups are being captured by Google Maps and Place Pages.

Companies such as Amazon or Target, with strong brands, may be immune or resistant to the rise of Google Product Search but the many no-name e-commerce sellers relying on optimized product pages for SEO may find it harder to get organic traffic from Google and may need to increasingly look to product listing ads for exposure. The old game of traffic arbitrage, played so well for so long by shopping comparison engines, may also soon be coming to a close.

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Google And George Clooney Founded NGO Launch “Anti-Genocide Paparazzi” Project To Prevent Sudanese Violence

Greg Sterling — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:14:25 +0000

Satellites have long been used for good and ill but never before have they been marshaled to help prevent human rights abuses and political violence — before they happen. But that’s the aim of a project that involves the UN, Google, Harvard and a non-profit organization called Not On Our Watch, co-founded by US actor George Clooney. The objective of what’s being called “The Satellite Sentinel Project” is to monitor and thereby prevent anticipated violence expected to coincide with a vote in Sudan about whether to split the country into two: north and south.

The project is the brainchild of Clooney, who has been active in Darfur relief efforts. Drawing an analogy to the Hollywood culture of intrusive celebrity gossip photographers, “paparazzi,” Clooney sees the new satellite project as a kind of “Anti-genocide paparazzi.” The idea is that violence can potentially be prevented if the would-be perpetrators know that these satellites are watching and collecting potential evidence that could later be used in criminal actions against them.

According to Reuters:

Under the project, commercial satellites over northern and southern Sudan will photograph any burned and bombed villages, mass movements of people, or other evidence of violence. The United Nations’ UNOSAT program will collect and analyze the images, Harvard’s Humanitarian Initiative will provide research, more analysis and corroboration from field reports from the anti-genocide Enough Project, Google and Trellon Llc, an Internet development firm, designed a Web platform for public access to information with the goal of pressuring Sudanese officials and other groups.

I’m reminded of Google’s “Transparency Report,” which shows government requests to censor or remove content from its index.

These sorts of efforts to shine more light on undesirable government behavior and criminal activity can have a material impact over time. We’ll have to see of course whether The Satellite Sentinel Project and the idea of being photographed can successfully act as a deterrent to human rights abuses in Sudan, which has been ravaged by genocide and ongoing ethnic and sectarian violence.

Google & MySpace Renew Search & Advertising Deal

Barry Schwartz — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:13:07 +0000

Google and MySpace just have announced they have renewed their search and advertising deal. The multi-year agreement will expand on their current relationship and give MySpace access tot Google’s web search and search ads, as well as access to Google’s Display Network and DoubleClick Ad Exchange.

Google will continue to power the search results on MySpace, as well as the search ads on the site. The new part of the agreement is Google powering some of the display ads on the site.

“We’re thrilled about renewing our partnership with Google. Their best-in class technology will continue to provide our consumers with a robust search experience,” said Nada Stirratt, Chief Revenue Officer of Myspace. “We look forward to participating in the Google Display Network and DoubleClick Ad Exchange to increase yield across our display ad inventory.”

“We’re excited to deepen our partnership with one of the largest social Web properties in the world, Myspace,” said Henrique de Castro, Vice President of Global Media and Platforms at Google. “We’re pleased that our technology will benefit Myspace’s users on its newly redesigned site, and that Myspace has chosen our display advertising solution to increase its returns.”

TripAdvisor Back From Its Google Vacation?

Greg Sterling — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:02:08 +0000

Last week it appeared that hotels reviews site TripAdvisor was blocking Google from showing its content on Places Pages. TripAdvisor never confirmed that it was doing so and Google attributed the absence of TripAdvisor reviews on Places to a technical problem.

However what you might call “circumstance evidence,” as well as comments made by TripAdvisor CEO Stephen Kaufer to the Wall Street Journal this weekend, seem to confirm the site’s displeasure with Google:

“Google does seem to be chasing us and I don’t like it one bit,” said Mr. Kaufer, adding that he has been negotiating with Google for about two months to try to improve his situation.

TripAdvisor is part of the coalition of travel sites opposing the ITA acquisition as well.

Mike Blumenthal noticed this weekend (and so did I) that TripAdvisor was now back among the review sources on Google Places Pages. A search for “Four Seasons San Francisco” last week showed that TripAdvisor content was missing:

Today on that same page TripAdvisor content has returned:

This dance of ambivalence is likely to continue as key local and vertical content publishers try to maximize traffic from Google without providing too much to render unnecessary visits to their sites. Yelp went through a version of this and appeared to resolve its differences with Google. Now TripAdvisor seems to have done the same. Who’s next?

Postscript: TripAdvisor Watch argues that this resolution of the apparent dispute is not in fact a resolution and that TripAdivsor has merely been unsuccessful blocking Google at every turn:

[S]ome TripAdvisor reviews have persisted throughout the dispute, indicating that TA’s attempted block has not been 100% effective – Google has continued to scrape a number of reviews throughout.