Danny Sullivan has a great post on the conflict of interest facing Google with the consummation of DoubleClick. DoubleClick is online behavioral target ad network. DoubleClick also owns Performics, one of the largest paid inclusion and pay for performance providers. Danny points out that by owning Performics, Google is essentially competing with is customers - in this case SEO and SEM specialists. Even the perception of such can be dangerous to Google’s search and advertising business as it erodes the trust of the professional services industry that has built Google’s revenue base.
Google has been shopping Performics since May 2007 More»

Labels: doubleclick, performics

The EU has approved Google’s acquisition of display advertising giant Doubleclick in a move that will enlarge Google’s already huge advertising footprint. Google CEO Eric Schmidt notes at the Google blog:
DoubleClick gives Google the leading platform for display advertising, enabling us to rapidly bring advances to the market in technology and infrastructure that will dramatically improve the effectiveness, measurability and performance of digital media for publishers, advertisers and agencies.Schmidt also alludes to the probability of layoffs from current DoubleClick staff saying “there may be reductions in headcount”, mostly in the USA. Presumably Google would be laying off DoubleClick More»

Labels: doubleclick, EU