The Fate of Performics: Round II
:The Fate of Performics: Round II
When Google recently bought DoubleClick, it also bought Performics–Doubleclick’s SEO and affiliate marketing subsidiary. There’s been plenty of speculation about what Google will do with Performics–from selling it off to running it as the purest white-hat SEO company ever.
In its FAQ on the DoubleClick deal, Google originally said that it had no plans to drop Performics. Now the tune has changed. If you check out the FAQ now, you’ll find that Google is saying it will “evaluate all strategic alternatives for this business” and assures customers that “we are committed to continuing to meet the needs of Performics clients, and we expect no interruption in service during this transition.”
So, essentially, it’s considering its options and Performics’ existing customers shouldn’t worry; they won’t feel any turbulence. It looks like Google may be moving closer toward announcing plans to let Performics go.
Performics, however, doesn’t want anyone to think it’s in an unstable position. Kris Jones made a recent post discussing the possibility of Google dissolving Performics. The president of Performics, Stuart Frankel, responded with an email emphasizing that “it is business as usual” at his company.
It still doesn’t make sense that Google will continue to own Performics–there are too many conflicts of interest involved in that scenario. In a postscript to Barry Schwartz’s report in Search Engine Land, Danny Sullivan states that the situation seems “like an afterthought…the conflicts have simply not been carefully thought out, and I feel it is almost a certainty that Performics will significantly change or be sold off.”
Some believe that Google’s off-hand treatment of Performics indicates that it’s not particularly interested in the company–and there’s a good chance it will get sold or spun off. The new addition to the FAQ makes it seem as though Google is moving in that direction. It makes sense that the president of Performics would try to control the rumors until it’s ready to make an official announcement.
So will you be able to hire Google to do your SEO? I don’t believe so. But the DoubleClick deal isn’t quite finalized yet–even that could take an unexpected turn. Performics is doing what any smart company would do: keeping up a strong front while its fate is uncertain. Who knows? It just may land on its feet.
