June 21st, 2006
Google payment system to 'automate advertiser click cycle, the rest is history'
My prediction that Google’s impending online payment mechanism, or "GBuy," will play a pivotal role in Google’s just released for testing new Pay Per Action ad network format is reinforced by comments made by Google SVP Product Management, Jonathan Rosenberg, at Google’s recent investor conference call. In response to a question about Google’s rumored payment system, “we saw some news that some testers out there are testing shopping from high-quality merchants for products like iPods, music cell phones. People are wondering, is that some sort of version of an eBay Express or an Amazon functionality?”
Rosenberg replied:
the answer to that question is no. We have been working to automate the advertiser click cycle. In other words, what we want to do is the moment the customer decides to purchase something, we want to make that as fast as we possibly can. Google does have what is generally known as a payment system that would enable that. But it’s not the kind of payment system that eventually results in the kind of product that you’re describing.
Think of as much more advertiser automation, very much focused on making the advertiser satisfaction much higher. Advertisers will see quicker returns, more click-throughs, better conversions, and then the rest is history.
As I describe in "Google goes for the hard sell: New ‘Content Referral Network’ targets higher click-throughs, ad rates and new GBuy transactions":
Google is not content to leave any part of the “advertiser to user to sale” revenue stream on the table. Google aims to escort the user it brings to the advertiser’s table all the way through to the targeted sale and then enable the transaction, for a fee, via its impending online payment tool, GBuy.
FOR MORE: Google Content Referral Network vs. eBay Affiliate Network
