September 15, 2004

11:45 AM

Now that Blogspot weblogs show a navbar instead of Google Ads, and without a Premium version, how does Blogger generate any income for Google?
posted by brownpau to (6 comments total)

Why do they even need to make any money? I bet Google views Blogger as a great way to get folks adding new content to the web (that isn't offers for v1agra!!1!), and blogspot is an obvious place to let folks host their content. A lot of new web writers start on blogspot, and eventually go on to greater things.

Perhaps it's also a way to undercut Typepad hosting, since you could keep a basic blog at either, but blogspot used to have big ugly ads on top, and now they don't and Blogger actually encourages folks to put adsense banners on their blog to make the writers money instead.
posted by mathowie at 11:58 AM on September 15, 2004

Wait--I can add my own adsense ads now? Sweeet! I should make over $2.00 a year! Cha-ching!
posted by mecran01 at 12:17 PM on September 15, 2004

I'll go with the slightly paranoid "Google is mining the hell out of the data" theory. Knowing so much about what bloggers are linking to must be useful.
posted by reklaw at 1:57 PM on September 15, 2004

it also increases the number of sites having a google search bar, thus increasing traffic to their primary product/revenue source...
posted by mhaw at 2:13 PM on September 15, 2004

"What's this? Blogger, huh? Hmm. Hmm! Cool! Hey, someone write a check! They what? Ad revenue? No. No, no forget that. Whatever, just write the check. Mmm. I want a sub for lunch today."
posted by scarabic at 10:31 PM on September 15, 2004

how does Blogger generate any income for Google?

Blogger's just returning to its roots.

You know, not making money.
posted by justgary at 2:25 AM on September 16, 2004