As we reported yesterday, Google has now successfully acquired DoubleClick after receiving EU approval for the deal. While the focus has been rightly on display advertising, many have missed one part of the deal that will raise eyebrows: Google now owns SEO service Performics.
DoubleClick’s Performics offers search engine services that include “natural search solutions” such as “link building.” Some highlights from the Performics service
Our experts methodically optimize copy and content for each page to boost page rankings…
Addresses external ranking factors and new business opportunities
Now there is nothing wrong with what Performics offers; SEO and SEM are legitimate businesses. The catch is that Google is now offering paid services that promise improved search engine listings in Google itself, a 100% conflict of interest. Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land calls for Google to divest itself of Performics, and it’s a call that should be supported.
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When Eric Schmidt said that they’d be letting people go…I can only imagine the Performics heads would be first on the chopping block.
Dynamic Trade (the first name for Performice before the rebrand) was based on search engine spam….I really doubt that Google is going to wants to keep that close to their vest.
Wow, so Matt Cuts need to change the rules of the game
Hey Google, if you want to give it to me, I’ll take it off of your hands.
Wait, what are the rules of the game again? I think this holding could edge on the side of unethical behavior only because for once Google has to decide between making a buck off its only service or giving everyone the same advantage.
I simply cannot believe neither the U.S. or the EU did not make divesure as a condition for the deal to be approved. Can you say inside job?
@Joel Strellner if you don’t mind i want 50%
They’re touting the new relationship with Google on their homepage.
Yeah, check out the post about the acquisition of Doubleclick on mobile …..
http://www.zemobilephone.com/?p=16
Google’s “don’t be evil” motto seems to have been good enough assurance for the EU.
You talk about Performics as a SEO but what about the affiliate side? I think Google will keep affiliate and get rid of Search. Thoughts? The affiliate side would work for Google.
uhhhh…. that seems pretty fishy to me too.
I can’t imagine this will be good for the little guys. Big fish dominate link count and traffic, and now can BUY their way up the content ladder too?
But I don’t want Amazon eating my lunch
Nice move of google, doing seo for own search engine lol.
google needs to change their motto, more or less “internet domination” should be their new phrase
they want you to use adsense, yet the alternative options to it out there pay better, but you can’t run them side by side unless they are so dissimilar that no one will click on either of them
Why should Google ignore or abandon SEO when they can PROFIT from it. Don’t be evil people.
It is always refreshing to read a post that leaves you wanting more. With that said, could you help me understand why exactly this is such a huge conflict of interest?
Absolutely nuts. If they do this, this will be the beginning of the end of Google.
LC, because, esentially what this means is that you’re paying Google to be in the top spot of their search results…no matter how much you sugar coat it.
@5 Steel
Bingo.
That’s the point. You have people making decisions on technology matters they have no clue about. It’s not like US Steel looking to buy another steel company in “Townville USA”. We’re talking about the next 100 years and these suits in Washington are clueless.
This is more evil than MS buying Yahoo for chrissakes!
There’s no real reason for performics to offer SEO services, they’re an affiliate network, just by promoting an affiliate program a company can have more SEO done for their brand than any one SEO company can ever do.
Oh wow… that is SOOOO WRONG!!!
@15 - Just think about it:
1) Google
2) SEO is all about getting your site’s links at the top of the search results
3) You pay an SEO firm to help make this happen (they tweak your site to best perform in the Google, Yahoo, MSN algorithms)
4) Matt Cutts and the Google team have historically been less than enthusiastic about SEO as a service
5) Now Google owns a major SEO firm, which they intend to profit from — i.e. Google is now going to help you game Google to get top search rankings….and you will be paying Google for top rankings in Google’s own search engine!
Can we say “blackhat” anyone!?!
Got it - thanks for the clarity. Couldn’t a company also just use free tools to determine what key words / search terms people associate with their brand and then begin plugging those like crazy into all their marketing efforts to increase their visibility? As an alternative to paying for what seems to be somewhat of an incestuous service……?
@ LC
Check out SEOmoz.org. Very helpful, and you’ll get a good idea of all that’s involved in SEO.
@DC Search Engine Marketing
Mmmm lets see. Double click bought Performics for $58 million, plus an earn-out of $7 million totaling $65 million. If we add inflation to bring that to current day dollar, that comes to 72.9 million.
How about this, you give me 36.45 million and you can have half. It must be all in cash, and all upfront.
Deal?
At least you would trust Performics to know what they’re talking about now.
Why divest? Just make the service free.
@26 - I suppose that’d be the only way to make it fair, if they’re determined to keep it.
I find this Google move preposterous, taking advantage of its dominance in the search engine market. Such tactic could hurt Google in the long run. Maybe, one day people will turn to Yahoo and Live for honest search results that are not influenced by Performics.
@18 Alex
You are quite correct, the Washington suites without a doubt have no clue. They have forgotten what a real monopoly is and make decisions based on political correctness rather than good business sense. Google is a monopoly
just like Microsoft. End of story.
Performics isn’t just SEO — it’s also a very well developed and well used CPA network.
I doubt Google would manipulate its own search results - that’s just rediculous and it works against everything they work for. Their long-term commitment to stakeholders makes this an unlikely venture
I’d be more inclined to believe they’ll use Performics’ client data and analyse the processes that they used to manipulate search results and how Google can protect themselves for the future from SEOers… IF anything.
Robert said:
“I doubt Google would manipulate its own search results - that’s just rediculous and it works against everything they work for. Their long-term commitment to stakeholders makes this an unlikely venture”
a) It depends on what you mean by ‘manipulate’ and b) They already do it to varying degrees.
“I’d be more inclined to believe they’ll use Performics’ client data and analyse the processes that they used to manipulate search results and how Google can protect themselves for the future from SEOers… IF anything.”
Umm yeah, so that’s what you call a conflict of interest. Selling an SEO service to someone and then turning around and using that customer’s data to fight SEOers is pure evil.
No matter how you cut it, it’s wrong.
When the judge come to play the game! umm.
Google is a private company not a government agency. Let them do what they want. Free market economics and globalisation rule the world and you can’t stop us!
Don’t be evil, OR “Don’t be caught doing evil”
“Google is a private company not a government agency. Let them do what they want. Free market economics and globalisation rule the world and you can’t stop us!”
I’m going to read that as sarcasm.
Where do we protest this so that it really could be stopped?
Guys..
1.) This is no different that MSFT owning Avenue A
2.) How is Google owning a “3rd-party” ad server any different? It’s not.
In both these cases, there is a conflict of interest and in both cases, agencies and marketers know this and don’t care.
hey guy’s they will use they SEO company to get better result in yahoo and live and get more traffic
interesting… does not mean you cant do SEO yourself still but sure is a conflict…
You guys are being ridiculous…. Google is not evil and them owning Performics is not evil.
a) Wouldn’t it be smart for Google to buy Doubleclick and take good look at what everyone does within all the business Units before “dumping anyone” as you all are suggesting. Remember, nobody from Doubleclick or Google could talk to each other about the deal for the past year. Google is being smart and non-evil by holding onto Performics .
b) Doubleclick Performics is mostly affiliate and paid search. They are clearly one of the leaders in the field. Why wouldn’t Google want to tap into some of the best Adwords / Search / Affiliate folks in the industry to help bring advertisers and publishers together. Heck, if I bought something for 3 billion bucks, I would want to make sure I”m getting as much value out of it as possible.
c) SEO, imo, is about making sites easier for the engines to understand and crawl. I worked at a major ecommerce site a few years back and the site had so many issues that Google could hardly crawl it. Google just wants to catalog information effectively. Google is not going to give away it’s algorithm to a a group of folks and have them go out and promise the #1 listing. You all are being ridiculous if you think that. They would find a smart way to use these folks.
If something is truly evil, Google would squash it. I’ve heard great things about Performics on both the search and affiliate side. I’m excited to see how Google uses them. Now, if MSFT bought them, it might be a different story.
I think it’s a tad unethical offering SEO services for their own search engine.
I’ll wager they shave off doubleclick’s staff / departments that overlap with their own, or don’t fit their business model. And an SEO Services Company will go first if nothing else to appease the masses, but as SEOs we won’t go any where else as its what the clients want to rank on.
Maybe performics will focus on SEO/SEM Services for Yahoo and Microsoft Live ;))
Google has amazing engineers and that is a great move on their part but I hope this new services will be affordable to everyone.
- Daniel Chege
Poppaproductions@gmail.com
Poppa Productions Web Designs.
I really don’t see anything wrong with this situation as long as Google keeps their algorithm hidden from unwanted eyes which include their own companies.
Sasha
I agree with the comments that have said that Google has a monopoly. I think they had a monopoly even before this acquisition. Ask any webmaster who they worry about, Yahoo or MSN or Google? Almost all of them will tell you all they care about is Google. I also think Google has set a dangerous precedent by punishing sites for selling links. The argument could be made that Google is punishing sites for using an alternative to AdSense.
i think this is big step by google.
I think this is not good. Now Google is not going right way, May be this is decrees his popularity …!!!
This is side way ” Black Hat “
Great!!!
Double Click Performics and Google together is a big accomplishment and this will help Google vanquish display advertising and provide more accurate and guaranteed paid SEO services.
It has provided a roadmap for affiliate publishers, advertisers, marketers and also a new way to outsource SEO services. I am really thankful to Google for acquiring DoubleClick as this will help us to monetize and maximize our investment.
I have one point bewildering me that natural search solution provided by google will it assure top listing or just try to provide top listing??? Does this has anything to do query marketing and content management???