Google Product Search is a price comparison engine - Again!

Froogle - Google Product Search, which launched as Froogle many years ago as a price comparison shopping engine later changed it’s format to a simple product search engine that would display the stores that sell a product you are searching for, without grouping the stores that sell the searched product according to prices, but simply in random algorithmic order - each product listing displaying a merchant-specific description and other details.

This was probably because froogle would, at the time, crawl e-stores for price and product information and the index was anything but accurate. Since introducing google base, the product search engine has stopped crawling the web for product info, it instead relies on data-feeds submitted by merchants - in a manner much similar to Shopping.com, Shopzilla and other price comparison sites. Despite the added accuracy, few people actually use google’s product search feature independently of the top-three product listings that appear within universal search.

Now, again, google seems to be experimenting with the price comparison engine format, complete with one description, and product specs per product - which is great news shoppers - there is now a real price comparison engine that includes more buying options than any other out there. As for merchants, most of whom already have their datafeeds uploaded to google base, This would be one of the few price comparison sites that is completely free - merchants don’t pay for clicks or sales, and if your store offers competitive prices, all the better, expect additional traffic!

Not all searches are showing up as price comparison results, but more SERPs are changing their skin real quick. Probably not very long before the transition is completed.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

GoldenCAN kills the “powered by goldencan” link

Affiliates who use GoldenCAN to enable dynamically updated coupons and products from merchant programs will no longer need to display a “powered by goldencan” link on pages with goldencan’s code. Good Move!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

yahoogle / goohoo

Yahoo testing “Ads by google” with US search queries http://tinyurl.com/5q4hyb

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Adsense update

Adsense ad units become interactive, will improve CTR http://adsense.blogspot.com/2008/04/show-me-ads.html

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Text Amazon to buy it

In what is a giant leap in it’s mobile-commerce offerings, Amazon launched “Amazon TextBuyIt” yesterday - Something that will let customers find, and make purchases via something as simple as text messages.

“With today’s launch of TextBuyIt, any Amazon.com customer can now use any mobile device to shop and buy from Amazon.com, at anytime, anywhere they are”

How, Simply text a message to “AMAZON” (262966), with the name of the product (or UPC/ISBN, if you have those), search results - with product name, a single digit code, and prices - are immediately texted back to your phone. Reply to amazon’s reply with the single digit code amazon sent for the product that is to be purchased. That’s it! If it’s the first time you’re using the number to buy something you are asked your amazon.com account details from where amazon picks up your shipping and billing info, and calls you up to confirm the order)

There is a discussion going on here about the new service, the first few reviews seem positive. One of the comments made me think, we’re already into the ‘future’. “Imagine when you are wandering inside a BestBuy or circuitCity Store and really like some item and begin to wonder if you will find a better deal on Amazon… well, now you can just send an SMS and Voila!”

More on Text Buy It:
FAQs
Press Release

Update: Discussion also at Techcrunch

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Peformics to split.

Google trying to quiet all criticism of being the owner of a search marketing company, will sell the search business of performics, and more importantly integrate it’s affiliate marketing business into existing google products (adsense?).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!