Google and the PR industry

Of all the organisations out there its probably Google that fascinates me most. It’s a kind of hobby reading about their latest moves, deals and products however I must admit to holding a modest amount of their shares (or stock) but if anything it’s just to add to the excitement of trying to work out what they are up to.

I think it relevant to mention that last year we dabbled in Adwords but found it expensive and have concentrated efforts on the ‘natural’ listings via an SOE initiative. I use the Gmail mobile and desktop which I think are great although I have not as yet parted with $50 for the full Apps product, although I think it’s going to be a great alternative to MS Office, particularly with the hoped for addition of the presentation module.

Back to my Google fascination, which really seems to stem from the conviction that they know something we don’t. I can’t put it any clearer than that. Perhaps they have too much power, maybe it’s a critical mass thing, but lots of their ideas seem odd with no particular view on monetarising the benefit. My gut however tells me they could end up taking as active a part in the UK’s PR provision as they do in advertising.

They are talking about customising your browser to only display ads related to products or services your have previously shown an interest in. If this is the future then its possible pages and content could also be filtered on a similar basis, or to show the stories of those who have paid the most money.