Business Insider Asks the $28 Billion Question

Larry Allen, SVP of Business Development for 24/7 Real Media asks in a Business Insider article, “what about the businesses who are now reliant on Google for search and display revenue, advertising technology and various business applications?”

He asks because, as he sees it, Google’s “expansive dominance should be alarming for every marketing-related business, including publishers, advertisers and agency and marketing services technologies.”

Why? Well, there’s the obvious – Google is expanding its presence in a variety of categories, edging others out of the market (Business Insider lists Google’s market share in search, ad revenue, video, travel, automotive, shopping and health).

Add to that, “Google now is even prioritizing their own products above the paid search listings on their search engine.” Or as, Allen says, “Google clearly is leveraging its position of power with consumers to launch new products and ensure their own success.”

Google made $28 billion from advertising in 2010, and in doing so (according to Allen) Google is “eroding the value of each and every business in the media sales and publishing value chain.”