As Loren hinted a few hours ago, Google and Yahoo have finally dropped the bomb (which we were all expecting to happen anyway) – a search partnership which in Google and Yahoo’s term is NON-EXLUSIVE. But what does “non-exclusive” mean really?
In Google’s words:
Today, we announced a non-exclusive advertising agreement that will provide Yahoo! with access to our AdSense for search and AdSense for content advertising programs on their U.S. and Canadian web properties. In addition, we will work to enable interoperability between our respective instant messaging services allowing users better, broader communication online.
And perhaps to deter critics and possible the government regulators, Google was quick to add what the Search Partnership is not
- a merger but just ad serving to Yahoo through Google Adsense
- Google is not taking over Yahoo to eliminate a competitor in the online search advertising field (Google doesn’t have to do that anyway!)
- Yahoo is still free to enter with similar arrangements to other companies (hence, non-exclusive)
- It will not increase Google’s share of search traffic (yeah, but Adsense revenue will definitely shoot up!)
- It will not lead to Google increasing its ad serving price
Yahoo also made a similar announcement regarding the deal via a lengthy press release. And we will write about that in a separate post as well as a related announcement by Yahoo concluding the Microsoft-Yahoo saga.
