I’m not going to bore you by linking to every Google Q4 revenue article that’s out there. But I will highlight any that have an interesting angle.
Take this summary from BusinessWeek Online. Sarah Lacy focusses on Google’s international operations and how the company plans to grow its business outside the U.S.
International revenues were 35% of total sales vs. 29% a year ago … Expect a greater international sales share in the year to come.
In the fourth quarter, Google signed deals to place its search window on sites like AOL Europe, Ask Jeeves Japan (ASKJ ), Shopping.com’s (SHOP ) British site, and others. And it’s hiring engineers to staff research and development offices in India and Europe in order to tailor its services to local tastes.
So why the big push for international business?
A recent comScore Media Metrix survey shows Google’s non-U.S. market share at 58% in October, 2004 — significantly higher than its 35% U.S. share.
Investors are still concerned that Google generates 98% of its revenues from paid search..
..durability of that upward trend is what worries analyst Martin Pyykkonen of Janco Partners. “If Eric is right, why be in anything but paid search? But if anything cracks, it’ll be a big issue,” says Pyykkonen
Maybe not a big issue, but Google appears to be conscious of the fact that they need to diversify their revenue streams.
Link:
Every Google Q4 revenue article
Andy Beal is an internet marketing consultant and considered one of the world’s most respected and interactive search engine marketing experts. Andy has worked with many Fortune 1000 companies such as Motorola, CitiFinancial, Lowes, Alaska Air, DeWALT, NBC and Experian.
You can read his internet marketing blog at Marketing Pilgrim and reach him at andy.beal@gmail.com.
