Two Google notes: One, Google is testing local ads on Maps, Beal has the story. Second, have you all checked out how Google is doing music lately? Not bad, though you can’t buy anything yet. I searched for “Orbital” and got this (a highly stylized, non web search interface) as my only result yesterday, though now it’s back to this (a standard one box interface). I rather like the interface.
Two Goog Notes
Two Google notes: One, Google is testing local ads on Maps, Beal has the story. Second, have you all checked out how Google is doing music lately? Not bad, though you can't buy anything yet. I searched for "Orbital" and got this (a highly stylized, non web search interface)…
Google, naturally, wants to get into more, non advertising related, services in order to back up its finances, in case something goes wrong with the PPC strategy or Yahoo!+MSN steal its thunder. Google Video, Google Music, Google enterprise products, and so on, so forth. According to Eric Schmidt’s presentation/lecture at UWTV, they are going to go for some sort of content platform, of sorts, which will facilitate the flow of that content between publishers and consumers. Another revenue stream for Google.
The stylized search result looks like a regular Google Music Search for Orbital. It’s still out there. The second search is just a vanilla Google, judging by the link.
It’s always the beginning of an end when you start competing with your customers. Google is doing exactly that if it plans to expand it content sales; now videos — next music, ringtones, games — physical goods?
BTW, I just tried to buy my first video from Google. I gave my credit card info and all that, next I got a prompt for Google password. After 10 seconds the password prompt was back – no errors, but no video either. I was logged in on Gmail at the same time and I’m sure the password was correct. Anybody else experienced this?
Juhani