Google has been running financial comparison tests from Google here in the UK for a while, in particular when users search for certain credit card keywords their “comparison ads” are triggered (see an example in the picture above, or try it out for yourself).
Similar tests have also been running in the US, and Netbanker is now reporting that they’ve expanded their tests, with keywords around the following products now triggering comparison ads; mortgages, credit cards, CDs, checking, and savings accounts.
As I’ve mentioned before, Google has to be careful not to annoy its big Adwords advertisers with this move. They argue that it’s all to do with improving the user experience, but it’s difficult to know what provides the best experience to the user; does Google’s access to masses of data on these products and its skill with algorythms provide a better experience than sending visitors to a dedicated financial comparison site? Or are we cynical enough to think it might be a way of earning extra money?
All good websites ultimately have to be about good consumer experience. Otherwise, you allow competitors to build a better product. Monetisation of your traffic is a secondary concern, only after you a solid product and the tacit permission of your users to monetise them. Pure comparison sites must be scared as Google moves down the value chain. Personal finance sites need to offer more than comparison tables in the near future.