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Predictions

by Mike Masnick

Mon, Mar 21st 2005 6:23pm





Google Gives In, AFP Becomes Less Relevant

from the AFP-who? dept

Following AFP's somewhat brain-dead decision to sue Google for daring to link to AFP published stories around the web, Google has graciously started removing all links to any AFP published story. Of course, the real loser in all of this is AFP, who in one bizarre move has made itself ridiculously less relevant and useful to the world of folks who spread the news. It will be harder for people to find AFP news, and AFP will suffer for it. They've just cut off one of the best marketing channels they had for no clear reason at all. Why publish online at all if you're not going to allow the biggest driver of traffic to link to you?

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  1.  
    identicon
    Raymond Chen, Mar 22nd, 2005 @ 7:31am

    Because that's not where they make their money

    AFP is not a web-based business. Eyeballs and traffic and brand awareness are irrelevant. People don't say, "I prefer the Tribune over the Inquirer because the Tribune uses AFP." Their business is selling content to newspapers, and their marketing targets newspaper editors, not the Google-news reader.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    icon
    Mike (profile), Mar 22nd, 2005 @ 9:44am

    Re: Because that's not where they make their money

    But if more people see AFP based news stories, then it reflects better on the newspapers who buy their stories -- increasing their value.

    Taking themselves out of the game is a bad idea.

    Besides, this is just trying to hold back the tide, and refusing to adjust their business model for the changing times.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    digifool, Mar 23rd, 2005 @ 9:35am

    Re: Because that's not where they make their money

    If techdirt bought content from AFP and techdirt was getting less traffic from Google because it was going direct to AFP. I suggest that techdirt might get upset and stop buying content from AFP. If the AFP was not indexed by Google then the content provided by AFP but distributed by techdirt is more likely to get more traffic.
    At the end of the day AFP make money from selling their content to content providers. So, I would have thought that for them its better business that the content providers get the traffic rather than AFP.
    I'd say they just got some customers back onside and that the business model remains intact.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    fizz, Mar 5th, 2006 @ 12:50pm

    Re: Because that's not where they make their money

    So why publish their articles online at all (AFP.com). If that were the case they should only offer their stories to news agencies.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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