The Google search engine has been a great tool for businesses to get their name out to consumers by biddign to have their name as top results from searches.

 However, a new tool by Goolge is angering businesses and have them questioning the monopoly Google is buiding for search engines.  This tool allows people to search website pages without actually going to the pages. For example, if one were to type “New York Post,” the search returns a list of links and the option to stay on the Google site to search within the New York Post site. The problem businesses are having with this new feature is that when a user types something in to the secondary box, Google returns the results with ads for competing companies on the top and sides of the page. Therefore, to avoid having users or potential customers go to competing sites, the company would have to pay additional money for ads on Google to ensure that users stay on their pages. These companies would also need to be the highest bidders for ad space to ensure that users see their names first in the searches instead of competing companies, therefore spending even more money on Google.  

Furthermore, since users are able to bypass many of the pages on the company’s site, the ad’s on the site are essentially useless. Companies can directly place ads on Google if they feel most users are no longer visiting actual websites, but searching on Google. Sites like Barnes and Nobles that suggest products to users based on past purchases will lose the opportunity to advertise these products to consumers if they bypass the company’s pages.

 Google argues that this new feature will benefit companies because now users will be better able to navigate to their destinations. Moreover, companies without a search option on their pages or with an inadeqaute one will greatly benefit from having the Google search engine apply to only their pages.  

Some argue that big companies do not have to fear since most users will remain loyal and not be swayed with simple ads to the competition.  Therefore, they would only lose a very small percentage of users.             

Many predict that users will find the new feature helpful and a better way to search webpages than actaully going to the site.   

References 

Tedeschi, Bob. “A New Tool From Google Alarms Sites.” New York Times. 24 Mar. 2008.             <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/business/media/24ecom.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&ei=5087&em&en=7af4252e4367999c&ex=1206504000 >.