Their other option is to monetize search queries i.e. allow people to build on top of their search data - making search a platform on top of which apps can be b

Their other option is to monetize search queries i.e. allow people to build on top of their search data - making search a platform on top of which apps can be built. Providing the ability to run queries over the returned results on any keyword. Whether it would generate revenue I dont know but testing it out should be easy. Pick a small country - provide full unlimited search API access for a year to anyone and see what gets built.