As Danny wrote Google Pushing New Blogger In Search Results searching on anything with the term "blog" in it our part of it (i.e. blogging, blogs X, etc) will bring up this special one box result promoting Google's Blogger application.
There was recently a lot of stink over Google using AdWords to promote their own products. Danny said that he has "no problem with the tip." Danny adds that he "wants Google to do promos like this outside of the ad units, so advertisers aren't to lose a spot to Google itself."
Let's take a look:
Now, that is some pretty real estate that is not for sale. Why is a search on prenatal care bloggers or barry schwartz blogging related to Blogger or even at all relevant?
I think Google should use AdWords, like they said they do and pay like the rest of the world. I believe Yahoo! has totally separate divisions that market their products and they keep them totally off limits to the search side of things. I know, Google is a search company, Yahoo is a media company, so it makes it hard. But it is possible.
I much rather they play in the fair ground then insert a one box result, which has much higher visibility then the ads (I would assume).
We have a thread on this at Search Engine Roundtable Forums since December 20th and member PPCblogger makes a very valid point:
I just find it amusing after Matt Cutts recent comments about hard coding products into search results after the whole should Google advertise on Google argument - http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/im-on-debunking-duty/."I agree that buying ads where other people can outbid you is much better than hard-coding the search results page to favor someone. That’s what Yahoo does with searches like [online advertising]."
Thats pretty much what Google are doing with their 'tip'.
Of course, as Phillip noted, they do the same thing for calendar or barry's calendar.
It just seems wrong to me.
Forum discussion at Search Engine Roundtable Forums.
