I wrote a description of the new Google Visual Search service earlier today. In a nutshell, it is an upcoming service for Google Android phones that will allow enable people to snap a photo of anything and search Google for information about that image. Sometimes, but rarely, I’m satisfied simply concluding that Google’s doing something good for branding purposes. This is not one of those cases. Google Visual Search has the potential to be one of the best products ever for Google and to help lock in Google as the world’s preferred information repository. These are the three simple reasons (and I’m saving the best one for last):
- It will directly generate significant revenue for Google. Google Visual Search will promote the use of Google’s search engine and, consequently, generate additional Adwords revenue for Google. Remember, right now Google is fundamentally an advertising company. That’s where the money is and lots of it.
- Google Visual Search will drive consumers to Android platform which promote the use of other Google products. Google is literally waging war with the iPhone for world dominance.
- Google Visual Search will give Google something that nobody else in the world has… photos of the entire world that are constantly being updated. The possibilities here are simply mind boggling. This will make Google Map’s Street View look like child’s play.
The third point is where CNBC dropped the ball when it was introduced to the Google Visual Search team. What near-term and long-term applications does Google have in mind for this new stream of information being provided to Google for free? First, users donated their voices to Google with Google Voice. Second, users will donate their eyes to Google with Google Visual Search. The juggernaut of information will get even stronger… much stronger.
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