Ebay will return to using Google's Adwords system after more than 10-days without the #1 search engine's traffic, but not without learning a valuable lesson in the process. Like so many other advertisers that have felt the cold-sting of Google's wrath, eBay has ventured out into other advertising avenues, including Yahoo, AOL and MSN. The timeline of the eBay | Google breakdown goes a little something like this:
So what did the rivaling giants learn from their spat? Probably not a whole lot. But one would hope that Google would take away from this: Yes, you're a huge company, Google. And yes, you're the #1 Search Engine in the world right now. But there are other huge companies out there. And you rely on them for revenue. Don't try to push others around to get your way. And eBay: Read what I wrote your friend, Google. You can say it's about user choice, tested services or whatever you want, but when you come right down to it, it's all about the benjamins, isn't it? Can't we all just get along?- July 2006, eBay bans Google Checkout.
- In April, eBay announced it would no longer compensate affiliates for paid search traffic from any search engine, including Google.com. The change would go into effect on June 1st.
- In late May, Yahoo and eBay announced a multi-year strategic partnership with four major components: search and graphical advertising, online payments (think PayPal), a co-operative toolbar and click-to-call partnerships.
- June 11, 2007, Google invites eBay Live! party-goers to "celebrate user choice" at the Google Checkout Freedom Party to be held the same time as eBay's party; in retaliation to eBay's policy not to accept Google Checkout as a payment option for eBay auctions, something many eBay merchants and sellers have actually asked for as an alternative to Paypal. eBay's response was that Checkout is still largely untested.
- By the next day, eBay pulled all Adwords ads, a heavy blow to Google, as possibly the site's largest single advertiser.
- Rumor mills went wild, speculating that neither side could keep up the rift for very long because both sides were so co-dependent.
- June 13, 2007, Google probably realized they had gone too far and retracted the invite, stating new users and sellers could contact them "privately." Appreciative, but still miffed, eBay continued the Adwords boycott.
- 11 Days after the ads were pulled, eBay states (with a little help from Hitwise) that Google-based traffic to the site has had little impact post-Adwords, inciting the company to take a hard look at reallocating search dollars to other properties. According to eBay, overall traffic to the site actually increased.
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