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Google Finance: Blogs Won't Get You Everything

Posted by: Heather Green on March 21

In a post about Google Finance, Steve Rubel points to Charlene Li’s review of the new service and notes that Google is aggregating blog posts right alongside the news. Interesting feature. But it’s interesting also to read Charlene’s take on the overall package.

“In the end, Google Finance is a definite improvement on existing services, but it didn’t blow me away. It felt like it was incremental improvements rather than something that fundamentally changed the financial site game.”

Funny that we hear this word, incremental, so often these days with new Google services. It’s not the word I would have associated with the company a year ago and it makes me think how hard it is to leap ahead when you’re trying to match something that competitors already have.

Update: Om Malik writes that it’s disappointing, while TechCrunch thinks there is enough here to push Yahoo forward. I would hope so.

Eric Frenchman has some good points from the perspective of an investor. “I’m not sure if I will use it as a primary source, because well, if you are going to buy stock, you should be using more information besides just news. However (and that’s a big emphasis on however), I really like how they organize all available news including blogs.”


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Reader Comments

Eric Frenchman

March 21, 2006 11:13 AM

Google Finance is really just a baby step. For the average investor, it lacks research and analytics that are needed to make good investment decisions. However, I love the way it integrates all available news and blogs making it superior to finance sites that only display news from sites that have feed deals in place. See more of my review at www.ericfrenchman.com

Heather Green

March 21, 2006 11:14 AM

Thanks Eric, Will do.

Scott Lake

March 21, 2006 06:07 PM

The one thing that I noticed about Google Finance was that it has relevant blog posts along side the financial data. This seems like a good idea but I wonder if Google has thought this through. Just imagine when the next Winer vs. Cadenhead style war happens and polarizes the blogosphere. Is Google really ready to show inflamatory blogs full of rumor and hearsay along side respected financial data? I personally love the idea but I really wonder if Google realizes what they could be in for.

Heather Green

March 21, 2006 06:27 PM

Scott, great point. That will be a nightmare, definitely.

Shumway

March 21, 2006 08:34 PM

I agree with Scott. While some blogs will no doubt have some great information, others will be filled with fluff, spam, and all out stupidity.

Easton Ellsworth

March 22, 2006 08:10 AM

Thanks for the insightful article/post, Heather. I've just got two nitpicks with GFinance. (I've also complained about this at my blog.) By keeping blog posts separate from "mainstream news" sources and by relegating them to the bottom right corner of each Google Finance company info page, Google is perpetuating two unfortunate myths:

1 - The idea that blogs are always inferior to MSM as sources of financial news and information.

2 - The idea that blog posts are so fundamentally different from other news articles that the two always constitute inherently separate categories.

jesica wilson

July 28, 2006 01:43 PM

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SUB PRIME LENDING
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At the Money

November 29, 2006 09:37 AM

It's not a new idea. Another startup named Monitor 110 is selling similar services to hedge funds. That company claims that it has superior technology in fetching the most relevant infomation in blogs.

Mark Cain

January 2, 2007 05:19 PM

I don't have a problem with google showing blog posts next to the regular news. For example, my site ( http://www.getaloanplus.com/ ) is a blog to help people find any type of personal loan or mortgage. While both news and regular static info is posted on the website, it should be listed along side of blogs and websites alike.

ravi verma

November 17, 2008 05:11 AM


I have come across a site which gives info on Finance, trading, banking, almost everything

relation to finance. I thaught it will be helpful to you too

http://professional-edu.blogspot.com

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In Blogspotting Senior Writer Stephen Baker and Associate Editor Heather Green take a look at how cutting-edge technologies are changing business and society. Whether its blogs or wikis, data crunching or data targeting, technology’s advances are reshaping the world that we live in.

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