I didn't say they where just search, they do quite a lot beyond searches, but in most cases they where not first movers in those areas either.
Ads make them profitable, but ads don't bring in a penny unless someone clicks on the adds (or views the adds, to the extent viewership is tracked and paid for).
ABC, CBS, NBC etc. make their money from the adds but they are the TV industry, no one would bother with their adds if it wasn't for their shows.
The same holds true about adds on Google's own pages, and applications. They also make money in non google sites, so to that extent they are in the add business, rather than just the "content business, with content that shows adds", but its not like they where the first movers with ads, or even web ads either.
None of which means they did not have important innovations here, but they where not the first mover, unless you deliberately define the market they supposedly moved first in, very narrowly to fit what you need to call them "first mover". But any normal standard they where anything but. |
