New Google Search Feature

Internet Retailer had a story earlier this week about a new search feature at Google:

“Google has launched Search Within a Site, a feature that enables searchers to conduct site searches of content, retail and other web sites from a Google results page. A search of “Newegg,” for example, brings up the Newegg.com home page as the first result. Previously, the results page would present listings of links to any number of sites that include references to Newegg. Now, the results page still brings up all those listings, but a search window labeled “Search newegg.com” appears immediately below the first listing, the retailer’s home page, enabling searchers on Google to conduct a new search that focuses not on the web at large but exclusively on Newegg.com.”

It’s controversial because 1) on the Google results page for a site search, a competitor’s ad might show up. 2) it seems unlikely that Google can present a search as thorough as going to the site itself and doing a search from there.

It’s just the next step (one we probably should have been expecting) in building loyalty to Google instead of the retailer/auto dealer/ manufacturer’s site. We’ve done a lot of research on the value of different methods of customer acquisition (promo emails, shopping search engines, referrals, etc) and our research shows that search engines drive people who are substantially less loyal and less likely to buy.

What do you think? Is Google going too far? If you run a site, do you think this will help you or hurt you?

Comments

[Cara]

As a consumer, I like the idea. Mainly because I do a lot of looking around the web for information and shopping and there are some very poorly designed web sites out there. These web sites may have something of value to offer me but because they're so difficult to navigate or such a turn off to view, I'll probably abandon from the home page. Now, if Google were to take me directly to the page I needed, I would stay on that site longer and potentially click on an ad or buy something. I actually prefer Yahoo! myself but regardless of the search engine, I very much use it as a means to an end. I don't spend any more time there than necessary. But, of course, you're right about loyalty. The only time I would use the search would be if I didn't already have a good site for what I needed. However, I do stay loyal to the sites that satisfy my needs and the search could lead me to somewhere new that I may not have found otherwise.