April 7, 2006 | In Business, Technology |
Web search leader, Google, has taken a step into the realm of online real estate listings, with a integrated search service for locally targeted homes and apartments.
Anyone who types a phrase like homes for rent, homes for sale, apartments for rent, or even just real estate into Google will be prompted to enter their ZIP code, after which they will see a page of local real estate listings.
This kind of innovative feature could definitely be useful, but it will likely be seen as an encroachment on the many websites that already offer this service. Google is essentially competing with its own organic results by sticking another search box right on top of them, and there’s nothing to stop them from extending this beyond just real estate listings.
What I’m curious to see is how comprehensive and well organized Google can keep its database of listings. The content will be user-generated (via Google Base), so the search giant will need to put a lot of energy into weeding out duplicate content and keeping the database in good order.
Personally, I don’t think that Google will be able to do this with the same level of precision that individual webmasters can, but I suppose there’s nothing to stop them from trying.
Ultimately, however, I don’t think Google’s user-generated content services will ever be able to eclipse the value of well-constructed niche-specific websites.
