Tweaking Google [excerpt]
Fans and Critics Build Search Tools That Add Features or Remove Ads
May 3, 2005
By Vauhini Vara, The Wall Street Journal Online
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... On the opposite end of the spectrum are sites that have formal agreements with Google to supplement their own search results with Google results and advertisements, then share the revenue with Google. Blingo, one of those companies, tries to draw traffic with a simple incentive: free stuff. The San Francisco company randomly picks several times each day to give away prizes. The visitor who completes a search closest to a designated time is met with a pop-up window congratulating him, with instructions on how to redeem awards like iPods and Amazon.com gift certificates. The company says it hands out about $750 in prizes each day.
Frank Anderson, chief executive of closely held Blingo Inc., says he and his colleagues mulled over several ideas when trying to found a new company -- but soon realized that, instead of reinventing search, it made sense to partner with a company that had already built a successful search engine and business model. Mr. Anderson says the company's contract with Google prevents him from discussing the details of the business relationship.
"We love Google," Mr. Anderson says. "So do most people." ...
