Google Built Google for… Google

Google’s position on Google-ITA: “this deal will benefit consumers.” Google also likes to say: “[w]e built Google for users.”

But today, when talking about Google-ITA, Google industry manager Nate Bucholz said: “It means we will be able to take bits of information to deliver more personalised results and give the advertisers really well qualified leads.”

Remember that Google’s customers are the “over one million of advertisers, from small businesses targeting local customers to many of the world’s largest global enterprises, who use Google AdWords to reach millions of users around the world” NOT users! (Taken from Google’s Investor Relations FAQ)

And in Google-speak, “really well qualified leads” means the ability to charge advertisers much more for ads… [cha-ching!] The problem? Guess who usually ends up footing the bill when ad rates take to the skies? That’s right, consumers who buy their products.

So while it might be great news for Google’s pocketbook, the more we learn about Google’s plans for travel, the more it appears to be a raw deal for travel consumers.