Google Base Cheating Classified Providers?

Over at the Oodle Blog, Craig Donato comments on Google’s decision to insert “jump” pages between search results and classified listings.

It will be interesting to see how this is received by the folks that provide GoogleBase with a feed. Oodle and other vertical search engines (SimplyHired, Indeed) made an explicit decision not to do this. We follow traditional search engine etiquette and send traffic directly to the listing from the results page.

Certainly a worrying decision. Why in the world would Google want to insert a jump page? Perhaps a chance to add ads down the road?

Andy Beal is an internet marketing consultant and considered one of the world’s most respected and interactive search engine marketing experts. Andy has worked with many Fortune 1000 companies such as Motorola, CitiFinancial, Lowes, Alaska Air, DeWALT, NBC and Experian.

You can read his internet marketing blog at Marketing Pilgrim and reach him at andy.beal@gmail.com.