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But a closer look at the results shows that while Google continues to be a moneymaking machine, its most lucrative business, search on desktop computers, is slo

But a closer look at the results shows that while Google continues to be a moneymaking machine, its most lucrative business, search on desktop computers, is slowing, while Google has not yet figured out how to make equivalent profits on mobile devices. Aren't they discounting the fact that the mobile serach market is still developing and not nearly the size of the desktop search market? Notice they don't say they aren't profiting from mobile. They say they aren't making equivalent profits. Mr. Page, who has had health problems related to his voice, sounded unusually weak and breathy. Really?? I am not even sure what to say about this. Honestly, it seems like every quote in the article is positive, with everything in between trying to justify the idea that they are struggling. I don't know, maybe I'm just a google fan boy. But it seems like weak reporting from the times

potatolicious 14y ago
> "They say they aren't making equivalent profits." The concern is that this will be the case in the long run - i.e., the desktop search market will contract substantially but mobile searches won't make up the difference. We know that mobile users, at least with the phones and UIs available today, are lower-intent and lower-converting than desktop users. This is a pretty big looming problem not only for Google, but for anyone whose traffic is disappearing into mobile - Facebook being the most obvious one that comes to mind. The worries about mobile are IMO legitimate, though it isn't quite time for breathless worry.
- DannyBee 14y ago
  Please point to a company that the business press believes is not having this struggle? I can find humorously contradicting articles about mobile growth at every single interesting tech company. Let's take: http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-may-not-be-struggling-with-mobile-monetization-after-all-2012-06 http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-may-not-be-struggling-wit... (june, facebook not struggling with mobile ads) vs http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-23/facebook-s-slowing-sales-growth-shows-mobile-ad-struggle-tech.html http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-23/facebook-s-slowing-... (october, oh shit, facebook's got a mobile ad struggle again. I guess it's a relapse?) In fact, here's an article about how everyone seems to be having this trouble: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/technology/in-mobile-world-tech-giants-struggle-to-get-up-to-speed.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/technology/in-mobile-world... (facebook, google, intel, microsoft, yahoo, all sucking it up at mobile apparently). Sorry, i'd go on, but i just can't even read these articles. I had to stop at: “What has caught people off guard has been acceleration of the multitude of things that you can do with a smartphone,” said David B. Yoffie, a Harvard Business School professor who studies the technology sector. Yes, Google was completely off guard by the acceleration of things you could do with smartphones, especially after starting a project to accelerate what you could do with smartphones in late 2005. Look, this is what the business press does. They have deadlines, they pick the trend of the day/week/year, and write about its relationship to some company, without putting any real thought in the matter. None of this is any different than the "The market was down this morning in reaction to XX YY" bullshit articles you read.
  - untog 14y ago
    Please point to a company that is not having this struggle? Does that matter? If the article is about Google, and Google is having problems, then it makes sense to report on it.
    - DannyBee 14y ago
      I guess you missed the rest of the comment, where I pointed out that you can find contradicting articles on subjects like this for every single company. If you believe the business press, everyone is having problems monetizing mobile, and nobody is having problems monetizing mobile.
    - DannyBee 14y ago
      BTW, here's a perfect example, just to contradict the title article: http://allthingsd.com/20130123/wall-street-buys-googles-mobile-ad-story/ http://allthingsd.com/20130123/wall-street-buys-googles-mobi... "By last night, though, Wall Street analysts seemed to have come up with at least one consensus takeaway: Google’s mobile ad business is looking pretty good. Or, at least, less worrisome"
- psbp 14y ago
  I think the worries are kind of ridiculous. It seems like people are just recently adapting to a real use of mobile. Once google figures out how people are using mobile, it shouldn't be long for them to adapt and monetize. Until people stop using the internet altogether, I'm not too worried about Google's ability to turn a profit.
- thefreeman 14y ago
  In my opinion, we have only been able to have a somewhat equivalent (to desktop) mobile browsing experience in the past few years. Combine that with the dramatic reduce in the cost of mobile data plans due to competition. In addition, the technology is just now becoming cheap enough for less then middle class people to afford it. I have no doubt that the explosion in ownership of internet browsing devices, as well as the ease of use, will continue at an exponential rate. With continued growth, eventually someone is going to figure out how to monetize it past 99 cent downloads.
DannyBee 14y ago
This just in: Athlete who trained doing 110m hurdles for 10 years not as good at shot put after only 2 years of training.
rimantas 14y ago
It is not the search that makes money, it is advertising on the top of search. And on mobile advertising has a bit of the problem.

potatolicious 14y ago

> "They say they aren't making equivalent profits." The concern is that this will be the case in the long run - i.e., the desktop search market will contract substantially but mobile searches won't make up the difference. We know that mobile users, at least with the phones and UIs available today, are lower-intent and lower-converting than desktop users. This is a pretty big looming problem not only for Google, but for anyone whose traffic is disappearing into mobile - Facebook being the most obvious one that comes to mind. The worries about mobile are IMO legitimate, though it isn't quite time for breathless worry.

DannyBee 14y ago
Please point to a company that the business press believes is not having this struggle? I can find humorously contradicting articles about mobile growth at every single interesting tech company. Let's take: http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-may-not-be-struggling-with-mobile-monetization-after-all-2012-06 http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-may-not-be-struggling-wit... (june, facebook not struggling with mobile ads) vs http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-23/facebook-s-slowing-sales-growth-shows-mobile-ad-struggle-tech.html http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-23/facebook-s-slowing-... (october, oh shit, facebook's got a mobile ad struggle again. I guess it's a relapse?) In fact, here's an article about how everyone seems to be having this trouble: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/technology/in-mobile-world-tech-giants-struggle-to-get-up-to-speed.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/technology/in-mobile-world... (facebook, google, intel, microsoft, yahoo, all sucking it up at mobile apparently). Sorry, i'd go on, but i just can't even read these articles. I had to stop at: “What has caught people off guard has been acceleration of the multitude of things that you can do with a smartphone,” said David B. Yoffie, a Harvard Business School professor who studies the technology sector. Yes, Google was completely off guard by the acceleration of things you could do with smartphones, especially after starting a project to accelerate what you could do with smartphones in late 2005. Look, this is what the business press does. They have deadlines, they pick the trend of the day/week/year, and write about its relationship to some company, without putting any real thought in the matter. None of this is any different than the "The market was down this morning in reaction to XX YY" bullshit articles you read.
- untog 14y ago
  Please point to a company that is not having this struggle? Does that matter? If the article is about Google, and Google is having problems, then it makes sense to report on it.
  - DannyBee 14y ago
    I guess you missed the rest of the comment, where I pointed out that you can find contradicting articles on subjects like this for every single company. If you believe the business press, everyone is having problems monetizing mobile, and nobody is having problems monetizing mobile.
  - DannyBee 14y ago
    BTW, here's a perfect example, just to contradict the title article: http://allthingsd.com/20130123/wall-street-buys-googles-mobile-ad-story/ http://allthingsd.com/20130123/wall-street-buys-googles-mobi... "By last night, though, Wall Street analysts seemed to have come up with at least one consensus takeaway: Google’s mobile ad business is looking pretty good. Or, at least, less worrisome"
psbp 14y ago
I think the worries are kind of ridiculous. It seems like people are just recently adapting to a real use of mobile. Once google figures out how people are using mobile, it shouldn't be long for them to adapt and monetize. Until people stop using the internet altogether, I'm not too worried about Google's ability to turn a profit.
thefreeman 14y ago
In my opinion, we have only been able to have a somewhat equivalent (to desktop) mobile browsing experience in the past few years. Combine that with the dramatic reduce in the cost of mobile data plans due to competition. In addition, the technology is just now becoming cheap enough for less then middle class people to afford it. I have no doubt that the explosion in ownership of internet browsing devices, as well as the ease of use, will continue at an exponential rate. With continued growth, eventually someone is going to figure out how to monetize it past 99 cent downloads.

DannyBee 14y ago

This just in: Athlete who trained doing 110m hurdles for 10 years not as good at shot put after only 2 years of training.

rimantas 14y ago

It is not the search that makes money, it is advertising on the top of search. And on mobile advertising has a bit of the problem.