Eniro going with Google

Eniro starts using Google in its search engines.

[Nicklas]

Eniro has signed an agreement with Google. Eniro is going to replace the Fast web index with Google's index in Eniro's search engines in northern Europe. During April Google starts delivering search results to Suomi24 in Finland, Evreka in Sweden, Kvasir in Norway and Eniro in Denmark.

Press release [eniro.com]

Artikles:
Eniro får Google som sökmotor [idg.se] - IDG
SOL kaster ut Fast [nettavisen.no] - Nettavisen
Dårlig nytt for Fast-kjøpere [imarkedet.no] - iMarkedet

[Rumbas]

Auch! That has to be a big hit for FAST who has delivered results for SOL in ages. So now Scandinavia is also Google, google, google..

Very sad imo.

Thanks for the heads up Nicklas.

[Ove]

I have to agree with Rumbas on this one now we scandinavian have to put all eggs in one basket Evreka is very big here in Sweden :-(

/Ove

[Rumbas]

From the press release:

In April, there will be a successive exchange to Google from Eniro's existing web index. The change will start in the Nordic region, the countries affected by this are Sweden (evreka.com), Denmark (eniro.dk), Norway (kvasir.no) and Finland (suomi24.fi).

I know SOL will die soon and Eniro will be the name, but care to share a little about what's on the future menu Nicklas?

[Nicklas]

care to share a little about what's on the future menu Nicklas?

Rumbas, I suggest that you check out Eniro's search engines regularly during the coming weeks.

[heini]

That's seriously bad news for OV.
The main reason for OV to buy FAST's internet divison was to be able to compete with Google in offering complete packages to portals. What happens? Google beats them on their very own turf.
Websearch monoculture spreading.

[Mikkel Svendsen]

As one that used to be a colleague of Nicklas I truely undertand the move, and I wish the best.of luck. SOL have used FAST for many years - some good and some bad. Actually, SOL have been more loyal to FAST than most other portals are to the engines :)

So, I don't find it so strange that SOL/Eniro makes the move now - but that dosen't mean FAST is dead in Scandinavia. Look around. Many things can, and will, still change over the next 12 month. Trust me, they will.

OK, for the next months to come, the Swedes and Norwegians will probably have to focus even more on Google - but in Denmark we have been used to being one of those "85% Google" regions for a long time. It actually don't have to be that bad, but I agree that in the long run it would be better for all (maybe even including Google), if Google did not have such a dominant reach.

[heini]

Mikkel, Nicklas: what's behind this move, now that Fast websearch is handed over to Overture? Apart from any inner scandinavian loyalties this is about business. So what incentive had Google to offer?

[Nicklas]

Its very much a question about good search results for the users. Google can offer relevant results and a more complete web index.

[Mikkel Svendsen]

Just to make it clear that I am not with SOL/Eniro any more :)

SOL - like Yahoo - have a history of changing search partner. The fact that they do it now, again, should not be a big surprise. OK, personally (from an SEO point of view) I would probably have prefered Inktomi not to emphazise the Google dominans even more.

However, even though I am sure SOL and Eniro care about what SEO's have to say there are many other important things to look in to when selecting the right engine for a portal. It's a very complex project, is all I can say :)

[Napoleon]

Fascinating... lots of facets to this one:

>> That's seriously bad news for OV.<<
>> Its very much a question about good search results for the users<<

Those two comments say a lot (IMHO). I suggested on another thread that search quality is not in the DNA of Overture. They do not have a serious academic or direct interest in quality search technology. They are too much into fast bucks (not FAST... pun).

As the 'owner' they will ultimately drive direction. That direction will NOT be to compete with Google on quality, which I suspect they view as a necessary evil.

In view of their deceiptful advertising on ATW, I certainly won't be shedding any tears for them. Karma strikes again.

>> Websearch monoculture spreading.<<

That's definitely the downside. No wonder I can't sleep at night!

[Tor]

The switch has already taken place in Kvasir here in Norway. That was really quick... No more Fast results. I was beginning to get used to it. ;)

[Ove]

The switch has already taken place in Evreka here in Sweden too.

/Ove

[Rumbas]

Denmark still showing FAST.

[Rumbas]

I wonder if we'll see Adwords across the network soon? If we do, the recent win for Google for Google.dk and possible Adwords on Eniro, could really spark Adwords in Denmark.

Guess the same goes in the rest of Scandinavia too?

[Tor]

In my opinion it`s just a question of time before we start seeing AdWords in Kvasir-results also. Maybe that`s the main reason for switching supplier from Fast to Google?

[Ove]

i ageree with you Tor i think its just a matter of time now, its a great income for all parts.

/Ove

[heini]

Tor, I certainly would suppose it's a solid financial reasoning working here.
Portals don't change their search providers for some arbitrary reasons, like whom they like better.
So that's why I have to wonder: how could Google make the Eniro group a better offer than the Fast/OV combo?

Perhaps it's mostly that OV is not ready yet to offer PPC in scandinavian languages. That would leave Eniro with the option of going with ES or Adwords. ES is probably not an option anymore when chosing OV owned FAST as provider. Which would leave Adwords as the only chance to get PPC onboard for Eniro.
So perhaps the PPC moloch OV is just too slow.

[Nicklas]

Take a look at Eniro's search engine in Denmark
[eniro.dk...]

It was relaunched today together with Google's web index.

[Rumbas]

You guys are quick. I checked an hour ago ;)

I noticed that searches from sol.dk now redirect to eniro.dk as well.

[Tor]

Tor, I certainly would suppose it's a solid financial reasoning working here.

Google made the best financial offer. They simply underbid the offer made by Fast. Anyway, that`s what I have heard...

[rencke]

Hmmm.... Google must be close to a monopoly for search services in Scandinavia after this. 75% market share or more, is my guess.

Strange thing: Evreka/Kvasir doesn't show Adwords and the stories linked to in post #1 only mention ads as a possible future development, not as something around the corner. Google has no press release out yet, but at the time of writing, their office wouldn't have opened yet. It will be interesting to see what they say.

[Tor]

I`ve been thinking: Maybe this is simply a giant April 1st. joke? No one has heard about it until today and it`s not even mentioned in Googles`s press section..... hmm..

[Rumbas]

Tor, this is for real.
Look at the serps, they're all showing Google now. You can also read the press release on Eniro's own site. I hardly think they'd put something like this out if it wasen't true. Finally we have an Eniro employee as thread starter.

I've heard that a major change would come to Eniro's sites a couple of weeks ago. Don't worry :)

[henrikt]

Google launched AdWords in Swedish very recently. Good timing to say the least.

[Tor]

They have also launced it for Norway, though we have used it for Norwegian keywords for quite some time through the US interface.

P.S. Rumbas, you were right; it was no joke..

[zeb]

I found this interview with the product chief of suomi24 (with a name that sounds familiar) from Nov. 11th. 2002.

The article is in swedish. Among other things, he states:

According to our tests Alltheweb-index gives relevant results. The relevance is among the best on the market and that is the reason why we have chosen to co-operate with Fast.

I don't think the relevance got any worse in the months to come, so the only reason to changing to google, must be the money making potential in AdWords.

The article [internetbrus.com]

[Mikkel Svendsen]

I think you forget a very important fact: One thing is what a product manager say in an interview another thing is what goes on when the journalist has left :)

A good product manager will allways defend his product untill the very day he decides to switch to another supplier - then he'll defend that.

Don't try to analyze too much from an interview :)