USA Today’s Kevin Maney thinks Google Health may launch next week based on a comment by Marissa Mayer, Google’s VP Product, during a meeting.
Vertical search makes a lot of sense for certain categories, and Health is one of them. Just compare the results for any health related search from Healthline, a well funded new health search site, to a standard search on Google.
The question I have is will Google do any content aggregation or even…gasp…original content…to turn their health search site into more of a Google Finance-like portal. Either way, Google Health will need to be very good to be better than Healthline.
Another “Ads by Google” driven revenue model. Here is the trick, create a search service of some kind, blend in google ads in a manner as to appear they are just part of the search results and not an ad (remove the borders, use the same colors, fonts, etc.), which result in 10x click throughs.
Ask.com is perhaps the biggest con site masking ads as actual search results, but lots of other companies are joining this scheme.
I was referring to this Healthline by the way.
“Either way, Google Health will need to be very good to be better than Healthline.’
1. No, it doesn’t have to. Why? Google means search. All over the world. Healthline?! A company I have never heard of.
2. Also, it seems Google will enter in the enterprise market.
The Enterprise Gets Googled
http://www.cio....106/google.html
Will Google win the enterprise?
http://www.roug..._google_win.php
Interop: Consumer Technology Driving Innovation Says Google Exec
http://www.podtech.net/?p=581
Interop: Google Sells to the Enterprise
http://www.podtech.net/?p=582
I hope Microsoft annihilates Google. I’m tired of them.
^ lol!
Mike, that will never happen (in regards with google). Sorry
Mike (of comments #1 and 2), not clear what you’re saying. The Healthline site clearly labels Google Ads; the CPM/banner ads they run (on non-SERP pages) are all standard size and position, so no fooling anyone there.
If you’re suggesting that they SHOULD try to fool users (as you hint Ask does), well, that seems like a bad idea, especially for a health site.
Beyond that, I would say that Healthline isn’t just focused on ad revenue on their destination site; they also license their platform to third parties. Since they’re private, they don’t disclose their revenue mix, but some of their customers (e.g. Merck, PacifiCare) have some pretty deep pockets.
BTW, Healthline is up for a Webby! If you’re a fan, you can register and vote here (they’re in the Health category, not surprisingly):
http://peoplesv.../register.mhtml
Is this a signal that Google has to go vertical to maintain organic search growth? If so, that would be sooner than most predicted.
If Google goes vertical search, I think it cannibalizes its main search which is treated as a competitor to vertical search sites. We’ll have to wait and see what Google Health really is/will be.
Google heath!? Why?! Ahh maybe tie it into google groups, then they can AD to death all the support groups!
Yeah, Healthline rocks. Still, I’m looking forward to the “I’m Feeling Yucky” button.
It’s interesting to see that Bill Gates today said that Microsoft would be “keeping Google honest” in the next few years, suggesting a ramp-up in Microsoft search activity to compete and overtake Google.
At the same time, MSN is to launch a whole raft of new content to fill its channels too.
The whole thing sounds like Microsoft is planning something vertical, BIG and ground-breaking while Google simply adds horizontally to its current model.
Ha! “I’m feeling Yucky” is great. Wow Google is growing a lot. Their homepage made a lot of sense when they were just web search, but they have so many products today that it is almost difficult to remember and find these new services.
wow. healthline looks like a typosquatting site.
Healthline channels… let’s see… erectile dysfunction? nope. uh, birth control? nope. uh, women’s health? pretty lame, just vaginal bleeding and fibroids – doesn’t even have vaginal itching. uh… let’s see…
AH! reproductive health (that’s what most 15 year olds would think of to call it, right?)
and let’s go look at what they say about abortion. well, i guess abortion only has one method, then – this is Doctor Approved, after all. there’s evidently a whole lot to say about “emergency contraception,” though.
C’mon. If you search outright you have a better chance of finding something useful.
And what is this “doctor reviewed” fakeness?
einar: amen.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m hoping Microsoft kicks Google’s ass. I’m starting to hate them.
oh brother. we knew the internet boom was over when Surgent General Koop came out with a site.
Google Health
Google Pets
Google Rugs
It’s over, Google shareholders, over.
by the way…has anyone clicked on one of these google ads on techcrunch?
In addition to Healthline, you might want to try:
http://www.Mammahealth.com
http://www.hon.ch
http://www.kosmix.com
http://www.healthgrades.com
http://rollyo.c...enleebow/health
Here’s to your good health.
Oh yeah, http://rollyo.c...enleebow/health is based on this site:
http://www.healthratings.org
Microsoft has Academic Search at Live.com
More info at Windows Live Ideas
Your days are numbered, Google. Dogpile has a feature just like this coming out but they will monetize it BETTER.
this is a great idea. now we just have to get rid of the FDA/DEA so that theres not a threat looming over anyone who doesnt choose to follow the prescribed govt-sanctioned-monopoly ’sick care’ regime…
The UK’s NHS Direct website is a reliable and pretty good (ad-free) source of health-related information:
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/
Having searched Healthline only briefly, I can’t say I found it any more useful than the NHS site. What’s more NHS Direct is simple and easy to navigate with a unfussy appearance. It may not sport any fancy Web 2.0 features, but it works just fine.
I wonder if there is a bigger issue here? Outside the U.S., many countries have publicly-funded health services and like the UK, they are making health information available online for free. Where does that leave commercial enterprises like Healthline? Can these sites attract users? When it comes to health-related info, the accuracy and reliability of information is paramount (and I see that Healthline are trying to address this). Simply aggregating information without any filters on the reliability or quality of the content is never going to be enough.
There is a good round-up of the best of the Google Health speculation as well as a preview of the Google Health functionality (including links and screenshots) over at Nursing Informatics Online @ http://www.info...maticsnurse.com
The direct link to the thread is: http://www.info...ead.php?t=12328
Interesting idea, if they can get make it similar to Google finance and get through all of the regulatory stuff (oops… Google Health told me to take 2 aspirins…)
It is very educational and interesting. Thanks for sharing it.