Search Google Inc. unintentionally provided a sneak peek at a looming expansion into classified advertising reports E&P. The service, named Google Base, which was accessible at base.google.com, described itself as: "Google's database into which you can add all types of content. We'll host your content and make it searchable online for free."
The new service could automatically l list all kinds of subjects and display them as part of the company's sponsored ad links on the right hand side of pages displaying search results from Google queries reports New York Times
Google issued a statement suggesting that the purpose of the test site was to make it simpler for Google customers to post content on Google.
"We are testing new ways for content owners to easily send their content to Google," the company said. Like our Web crawl and the recently released Google Sitemaps program, we are working to provide content owners an easy way to give us access to their content. We're continually exploring new opportunities to expand our offerings, but we don't have anything to announce at this time."
"As soon as you start competing with some of the people that you are indexing, it creates a completely different dynamic," said Craig Donato, chief executive of Oodle.com, a search engine that pools listings from dozens of classified advertising sites reports AP.
"Google can get away with a lot of stuff, but [Google Base] would certainly give people pause," he said.
