This article from the WSJ reports that Google is shifting its focus from driving visitors away as quickly as possible to providing visitors with more information. Here is the video story.
"A central issue in evaluating Google's search output is whether people prefer Google's new detailed search output featuring information the company has generated or whether they prefer search output that does not highlight this information. 'If Google is perceived as favoring its own content over impartial search results, it would risk losing users over time. But if users find the results more helpful, they'll keep coming to Google, forcing advertisers to stay there.' The article also notes complaints by Google's advertisers and antitrust issues that may be involved in Google's new search output. 'Google may alienate advertisers such as online-travel agencies that alone pay it billions a year. Those companies fear that Google's changes will reduce the number of bookings for which they can claim commissions. The shift has spawned antitrust investigations world-wide as some online publishers complain Google wields its extensive influence over what Internet users see to promote its own content and services, in the process helping some businesses while hurting others. A U.S. Federal Trade Commission probe was closed in Google's favor more than a year ago'" (James Dearden, Lehigh University).
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