Google to use InfoUSA data

Posted: May 8, 2005

It’s rare that data based information makes it out of the Fort Knox like walls of the Google ‘plex. However, it’s been announced that Google will license InfoUSA data for use in Google Local Search.

This is an interesting arrangement, and one wonders how long it will last. Google has long been building up it’s local database by both crawling the web, and allowing small businesses to propagate their own information into Google Local. Will this arrangement last until Google has enough business data it no longer needs InfoUSA, or are they assuming InfoUSA’s data is fresher than their own?

No one seems to know at present, however, data freshness is a big selling point in the local arena. It is estimated that 3 million businesses fail within the first 6 months of existence. With so many new businesses coming and going, it is easy for one’s data to become stale. If search users find that most of the data is stale, they’ll go look elsewhere for a provider who has more accurate data.

This is most likely a move to keep fresh data for it’s local users, as Google’s main focus is around providing it’s users with a great experience. The majority of Google’s income comes from advertising, and if the users were to leave Google, expect the advertisers to follow.

Related Links:
InfoUSA Home Page
Google Local Search Page