eBay Looks to Partner Up Against Google
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Written By Reprise Media | April 21, 2006 | Share This
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Google has eBay feeling jittery. A Wall Street Journal report today (subscription req’d) says that the online auction site has been in talks with Microsoft and Yahoo! to decide if either might be an ideal ally in staving off competition from Big G.
Although eBay and Google maintain close business ties - and this is unlikely to change any time soon, considering the extent of their advertising relationship - it’s safe to say that eBay is freaked out a little by what they perceive as Google’s challenges to their territory. The biggest issues are probably Google Base, the search giant’s free (and expanding) classifieds listings, and the not-quite-out-yet Google Payments, an online transaction service similar to eBay’s PayPal. And while Google had looked somewhat vulnerable recently, they’re coming back strong: their first quarter profits soared, beating most estimates.
The exact nature of an eBay team up with Microsoft or Yahoo! isn’t clear; it could involve a deal by which eBay would up its ad spending and share user information with its new partner. That said, eBay hasn’t ruled out deepening its ties with Google; they’re looking at proposals from each of the big three to serve contextual ads on eBay’s pages.
Topics: ECommerce |