Google now does the hiring and firing over at DoubleClick. It’s also responsible, of course, for its business activities and privacy policies. Here’s an excerpt from a 2008 “beta programme” called DART Natural Search. We think the growing role of user tracking across a myriad of online content, which other companies are also doing, is a very disturbing practice:
“By working with DART Natural Search, the impact of the entire search experience and click history can provide directional and prescriptive insight for your business’ search strategies. The DART Natural Search solution empowers businesses to better understand consumer search activities, through a robust tool that leverages existing spotlight tags used in paid search management and a simple tag on landing pages. DART Natural Search reports on where your traffic originates via the following search engines properties. [they list Google, MSN, Yahoo, Windows Live, ASK & AOL]…Conversion data from both Paid Search and Display is de-duplicated. And you get full exposure-to-conversion pathway reporting, giving you a snapshot into what influences a customer purchase decision… DoubleClick implements a state-of-the-art, single tracking tag and system for both Paid Search and Natural Search… By understanding the complete picture of the online media mix, you gain insight into the visits and conversions attributable to natural searches. Specifically for Natural Search, you’ll be able to understand what country people search from, and the search engine property they use (images, video, news, etc). Lastly, learn what search terms and landing pages are most valuable to your business.”
source: “Gain Insight into Your Customers’ Natural Searches.” DoubleClick [UK]. 2008.
