A new report from Classified Intelligence, LLC, says Google has radically disrupted the $100-billion a year global classified advertising industry with its launch of classified listing services in the new user-generated Google Base database.
"Google Base could soon become the largest free-classified service anywhere, eclipsing even Craigslist and eBay's services," said Classified Intelligence founder Peter M. Zollman. "It's the biggest threat yet to established classified businesses, both print and online."
In a 48-page study, "Classifieds.Google.com: Threat? Or opportunity?" Classified Intelligence reports that along with titan companies like Microsoft and eBay, Google poses an increasing threat to traditional classified advertising publishers that have been dealing with intense new competition ever since the advent of the commercial Internet.
The report, available for $495, notes that most classified advertising publishers, including newspapers and online leaders like Monster.com and Realtor.com, follow the traditional pay-for-placement model, but Google is providing free listings and plans to make money through paid ads placed alongside the free content and through upgrade sales to advertisers. The report examines Google's strategies and potential problems in the classified field, and outlines ways more traditional publishers have to strengthen their classified services to remain competitive.
http://www.classifiedintelligence.com
