So we all know that Google “Chrome” has launched right? Personally, “Chrome” makes me feel like a 10 year old trying to use the internet, I mean the whole UI just feels very childish, but that’s beside the point. What nobody seems to be addressing is the information that Google will now have about it’s users.
Google made a brilliant move. Advertising is gearing more towards extreme targeting, meaning the more you know about someone the more targeted of an ad you can show them. If you’re the number one search engine in the world and you wanted to capture more information on your users, what would you do? Create your own browser.
It was long rumored that the Google toolbar (the little add on that gives you the green bar, your supposed page rank) was a secret spy that collected information from your browsing pattens. My SEO colleagues tested this and found out it was true. Now imagine the information you are going to be giving to Google when you are using their browser? Google is going to have information on all of your click patterns, your site history, etc. Who knows, using the browser may even help fuel the google analytics tool that so many people are using on their sites.
I think in the next few years we are going to start to see Google develop a targeted ad placement platform like no other. With around 70% market share in the U.S. Google is going to have more data on everyone’s browsing history than you can imagine. I’m sure when it comes time for Google to go after the mobile advertising space that they will have a “mobile” version of Chrome that will allow them to also serve extreme targeted mobile ads as well.
Since Chrome is so new there haven’t been any tests yet to determine what information Google can actually get from us, but I can tell you that it does feel a little bit like Big Brother is watching you, don’t you think?
I’m not saying use or don’t use Google Chrome, I’m merely trying to give my take on the new move that Google has made and what it is going to mean for us as users and what is going to mean for advertisers.
What do you think about Google’s move to launch their own browser?
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