Search Engine Optimization

IN 2002, Google began to drink the milkshakes of the book world.

Back then, according to the company’s official history, it began a “secret ‘books’ project.” Today, that project is known as Google Book Search and, aided by a recent class-action settlement, it promises to transform the way information is collected: who controls the most books; who gets access to those books; how access will be sold and attained. There will be blood, in other words.

Like the oil barons in the late 19th century, Google is thirsty for a vital raw material — digital content. As Daniel J. Clancy, the engineering director for Google Book Search, put it, “our core business is about search and discovery, and search and discovery improves with more content.” – New York Times

I love the way New York Times put it: Like the oil barons in the late 19th century, Google is thirsty for a vital raw material — digital content.

Digital content can be packaged and monetized with ads. Digital content is the oil well and it’s all about discovering new “oil wells”. First it was WWW in general – the search. Second was direct monetazation of WWW through Adsense. Books seem to be third “well” with potentially unlimited supply of oil, like search and content. As Daniel J. Clancy put it “because there is a ridiculous amount of information out there, and we didn’t see anyone else doing it.”

Google is scanning millions of books, libraries and university collections. Copyright issues are enormous. There will definitely be blood.