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Why is Google so nice ?

Sohil [PersonRank 10]

Thursday, July 27, 2006
17 years ago3,248 views

Why do they show they're competitors services in these searches (for Finance, Maps etc) ?

Does not showing your competitors products count as evil ?

http://www.google.com/search?hs=PZD&hl=en&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=goog&btnG=Search

http://www.google.com/search?hs=Uvs&hl=en&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=250+Richard+Montgomery+Avenue%2C+Rockville+MD+20852&btnG=Search

Same goes for the Autolink feature in the Google Toolbar.

Sohil [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

And using Answers.com to pull a definition when it can use its own define search.

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Being nice is nice and good for their image. It's probably hard to differentiate between the two. Also, when they link to competitors – if the competitors have relevant information – they're becoming a hub, which is even better than just being a player... they're sort of above all players. And it's their business to send people away. But we can also expect some of these "nice links" to go away as time passes, and Google's tools (and parsers' AI) get smarter...

By the way, Google's "define:" operator always credits the source with a link too...

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Another nicety, besides APIs (which again create a hub), is to share information: http://labs.google.com/papers.html

Sam Davyson [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

The links are very much an antique from the times when Google didn't have a service in the area. I think it was probably a very concious decision to keep the other links though, as Philipp says it does wonders for how you think about them. You don't think here is Google branching out every way they can and wanting you to stop using competing services.

Google Web Search is their main product and they know that. If people want to use Yahoo! Finance for the time being... that is ok.

Sohil [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I guess so, but more integration means more eyeballs which means more advertising money.

/pd [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

being nice eh ??

=="they're becoming a hub, which is even better than just being a player"

yeah its good to figure competetior intelligence too – no wonder its a good thing to do!!

NateDawg [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Googles main source of revenue comes from search ads. By Google including their competors, not only do they chance to display their ads but users will come to them more often knowing that with Google, for the most part, everyone gets a fair shot.

Roger Browne [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

If you customize your Google personalized home page and enter "Answers" into the "Search Homepage Content" box you will be offered content for Yahoo Answers, but not for Google's own Google Answers service.

Is Google ashamed of Google Answers or something?

Sohil [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

No I think there isn't a module for Google Answers however there's a 3rd part one for Yahoo.

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