John Battelle's Searchblog

Sure looks a heckuva lot like the "Portalization" of Google. This will be an interesting balancing act.

Looks like its time to find a new search engine. Don't they know that their lack of big graphical ads is the reason a lot of us started using Google in the first place?

Ditto Andrew.

They are in fact already distributing what they call “display ads� across their AdSense network. I am seeing them all the time. Moving them on to their main site is just a logical evolution.

This has *everything* to do with the continuing implosion of traditional media and a desire for GOOG to move up from the “intent required� part of the consumer purchase funnel (e.g. you can’t search for what you aren’t aware of) to the early-stage brand building part that TV has historically done so well. Part of the reason a tie up with AOL makes soooo much sense.

It might disappoint purists, but this is just the logical next phase of this thing…and as soon as the oh-so-many-wrinkles are worked out and folks know how to use this stuff for pure brand building and not just “punch the monkey� cr…eative, this will further grease the skids to further reductions in traditional media ad spend. It’s gravity at this point.

- Stuart

What a price to pay for keeping that 9% share away from Gates.
History being written.

The nickel just dropped. It's not about Gates or any of that (okay, maybe a little, of course); it's actually about what AOL is going to do next, and GOOG is the perfect partner. It has to be that they are going to open their content up to the open web, like they did in Canada already, and GOOG is going to be the shovel pitching eyeballs at them.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

That's what this whole deal is about -- AOL is finally going to defacto move on from the ISP/walled garden business.

- Stuart

So what? We'll start using AdBlock for Google also. And I hope they'll notice sharp decline in their ad revenues.

Here is thought/idea related to Veky's Adblock for Google idea. Why doesn't Microsoft do the following: implement Firefox-like AdBlock in IE7.0 and make it opt-in. Ads should blocked by default and one needs to opt in to enable them. Microsoft can then claim to "Do No Evil". I am sure it would make a lot of people happy :-)

I'm waiting for Mr. Softy to announce the 'nuclear option' and just release an IE version that blocks all cookies

There goes the neighborhood, which is changing at the speed of cash...

However I think this is mild news compared to the possible insider help for AOL content. Seems to me separation of paid and unpaid results is part of the key to Google's success and this does not jeopardize that as does the AOL deal.

LOL/ROFL @ John ... a "Nuclear Anti Cookie" Switch? But not in Microsoft AOL Google-Desktop 1.5 or? :D :D

i think the same like andrew in the second comment here, it is time to stop the monopol and give other search engines a new chance. but only cash is that what count and google have enough cash :(

I dont think Google is planning to use banner ads in their main search page, because banners are the worst way to monetize a search results page. The best CPM google may ever get for a banner ad would be around $5 and it pales in comparison to the CPM generated by text ads on SERP's.

I think they would try banners in image search where it makes sense (because text ads dont work well there)

Seems to me that Google is more interested in revenue that its users

Guess Google being listed now, requires it to earn more profits($$$). With AOL being a content provider and large user base it would be good for Google's growth. It just a pity that Google has to offer ads on their main site, it's such a put off.

@ gopi .... i think the banner are coming. it is to easy for google to earn some extra cash ;)