Will Google Finance Take Share From Yahoo Finance?
-
Font Size:
Previously, finance information was mostly only included in search results when people searched for a ticker symbol. The change, which places the stock information is an expandable “PlusBox”, was announced on the Official Google Blog.
Could boost traffic to Google Finance
According to Bill Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise, Google Finance had a less than 1% share of the business and finance category in December, shortly after the site was upgraded with new features. By comparison, category giant Yahoo! Finance had over 50 times more traffic with a 37% share.
However, the change in how Google treats searches for listed company names could substantially boost traffic to Google Finance and therefore increase its importance as a source of information for investors.
Now when Google users search for companies by name, they will see a PlusBox link that expands to show Google Finance content. See below.
The above screenshot shows the expanded view. By clicking on the stock chart or the “More information about MAT” link, users will go to the Google Finance page for the company.
Extra click may slow traffic flow
While a boost in traffic to Google Finance from the main Google search pages is obvious, it’s unclear just how much more traffic we’re talking about. This is because instead of going directly to Google Finance when they click on the stock quote links, web users are given a preview without leaving the main Google search results page.
They have to click on a second link or on the stock chart to go through to the Google Finance page for the company. The extra click could cut the amount of traffic that goes through to Google Finance pages.
This differs from how Yahoo! handles searches for listed company names. It provides direct access to its Yahoo! Finance profile pages for companies via a hyperlinked ticker symbol next to the company’s name in its search results.
I’m not sure I like Google’s approach because it breaks a long-established convention on the Web — that when you click on a link, you can expect go to a new webpage.
But that doesn’t happen in this case. Instead, new content appears in the current page. Given Google’s popularity, it may be big enough to rewrite convention if it wants to. We’ll have to wait and see.
Of one thing you can be sure, though. If your stock is listed on a U.S. exchange, anyone searching for your company by name is going to have its stock price thrust in front of them much more prominently than before.
You just got some free advertising on the world’s most popular website!
Note: I used Mattel as an example for no specific reason. It happened to be on my mind at the time. I have two youngsters who have a keen interest in the company’s goods.
Get Seeking Alpha Free Stock Alerts by Email!
Get Free Stock Alerts by Email!
-
Editor's Picks
-
Most Popular
- Assurant Is A Compelling Short Sell
- Broadcom Enters FTTH Chipset Market
- Another Macroshares Oil Arbitrage Opportunity
- Freeport McMoran: With Copper Prices Rising, It's Still a Buy
- Oil and the Futures Market
- Three Ways to Cash In on Record Meat and Dairy Prices
- Full list of Editor's Picks »
- High Likelihood of a Market Crash »
- Time To Start Buying Some Dogs? »
- Sirius-XM Combination: A Future Microsoft Acquisition? »
- JP Morgan Offer for Wachovia Makes Sense »
- High-Yield Canadian Royalty Trusts: What's the Catch? »
- Adding to My GE Position »
- 7 Stocks for a High Yield Cash Flow Portfolio »
- Drybulk Shipping: Prepare for a New Record High »
- Nokia: Bargain of a Lifetime - Barron's »
- Top 10 Payout Yield Stocks »
- Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News »
-
Long Ideas
-
Short Ideas
-
Cramer's Picks
- Adding Wood to Your Portolio: A Worthwhile Investment
- Arkansas Steel: 10 Structural Changes That Should Trump the Business Cycle
- Gross Margin Drivers at Potash Corp. (Part II)
- A New Strategy for EXACT Sciences
- Cytori Therapeutics: The Stem Cell 'Celution' for Success
- LDK Solar: The Brightest Opportunity?
- Big Lots, Wal-Mart and Costco: 3 Musketeers of the Pooring of America
- What's Behind Hansen's Smackdown?
- The Long Case for China Medical Technologies
- ASA Limited: A Golden Opportunity
- Full list of Long Ideas »
- Crystal River’s Q2 Write-Downs Could Bankrupt the Company
- Assurant Is A Compelling Short Sell
- Fuel Systems Solutions: Time to Take Profits
- GM an Unlikely Hero - Fast Money Recap (7/1/08)
- Pair Trade Visa and Capital One
- Amazon's Kindle Numbers: All Fluff, Zero Substance
- A. Schulman: Cashless Profits
- Titan Machinery: Doesn't Anybody Look at Valuation?
- Goodrich Petroleum: Gas in the Ground Doesn't Mean Cash in the Bank
- Outlook Remains Grim for MBIA, Ambac
- Full list of Short Ideas »
- StanCorp a Safe Financial - Cramer's Lightning Round (7/2/08)
- Momentum Stocks Stalled - Cramer's Stop Trading! (7/3/08)
- Expecting a Lift for Pediatrix: Cramer's Mad Money (7/3/08)
- The Most Bullish Thing - Cramer's Stop Trading! (7/1/08)
- Exelon's Got Nukes - Cramer's Lightning Round (7/1/08)
- Prescription Prediction for Allscripts - Cramer's Mad Money (7/1/08)
- Rex Marks the Spot - Cramer's Lightning Round, (6/30/08)
- Medicare Bill Buys - Cramer's Mad Money (6/30/08)
- Cracker Bottom of the Barrel - Cramer's Lightning Round (6/27/08)
- Britannia Bulk Rules the Waves - Cramer's Mad Money (6/27/08)
- Full list of Cramers Picks »
Most Popular Feeds
-
ETFs
-
US Market
-
Long Ideas
-
Alt. Energy
- Full list of feeds »
Hedge Fund Jobs
Job Seekers:
- Search jobs by category
- Get job alerts by email or live feed
- Apply online
Employers
- See all recruitment options
- Get applications online or by email



This article has 5 comments:
Jackson
Barry Schwartz says there are plans for a video plus box.
I use Yahoo Finance, and although I thought Google had something going with their new charts, Yahoo went and matched it and rolled out their own interactive charts. Credit Yahoo with actually doing something right for once, even if it was completely copying Google.
As wonderful as it would be to see a large company stand on principle and admit when its own product isn't as good as a competitor's, I'm going to remain skeptical and assume that Google Finance will eventually supercede Yahoo Finance on Google search results, even if everyone continues to prefer Yahoo.