So Google owns an SEO company - WTF?!?!

Posted by stuart as google

An interesting article in the Site-Pro newsletter today.

Apparently, when Google hunted around under the cushions for some loose change to buy DoubleClick for $3.1 bill (no, not 3.1 Bill Gates, that would have been worth around $365 billion), they managed to pick up SEO firm Performics as part of the deal.

This raises some interesting questions:

• Will Performics have inside information and data from Google? Does this place them at an unfair competitive advantage over other SEO firms?
•  Will Google change its attitude towards SEO? Will it no longer see all SEO’ers as black-hatters, or just Performics?

This is a massive conflict of interest for Google. They have already shown their willingness to not consider the greater good with the slapping webmasters received for selling links.

Do no evil?

Pffft!