Google Checkout poached by Yahoo!
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it is not the fast track to competitive advantage.
On the heels of revamping its search advertising model in Google’s image, aka Panama, Yahoo now proudly announces it is following in its greatest rival’s footsteps with a new “Checkout” program with eBay PayPal.
Sound familiar, Google Checkout familiar? Yahoo is even “flattering” Google with its own mini checkout cart icon enhanced “Sponsor Results”:The blue shopping cart icon that will appear next to your ad not only helps the ad stand out, it also lets customers know which merchants offer PayPal Express Checkout, from the brand known for security.
The Yahoo pitch is also very Googley sounding:
Here is how it works: When a user goes to Yahoo Search to find an item or service, the results page may include Yahoo Sponsored Search results matched to the user’s query. If the merchant has joined the Yahoo PayPal Checkout program, a blue shopping cart icon will appear next to the merchant’s name in the Sponsored Search results. By clicking on the ad, users will have direct access to a safe, secure purchasing process that does not require any additional credit card information and can be completed in just a few mouse clicks.
There is one major difference between Yahoo’s “Checkout" and Google Checkout, though.
Yahoo says: “Search with Yahoo, Pay with PayPal,” eBay’s PayPal that is!
No need for Google to leave the Googleplex for its ecommerce product, however: Search with Google, Pay with Google Checkout!