Google Launches Commercial Site Search in time for Holidays

Google has unveiled a new search service designed to improve search efforts for retail sites. The Global search leader has made its latest move just in the nick of time for the holiday shopping season. The company said that the new Commerce Search tool would allow online retailers to offer better search functions for their sites and make it easier for users to find items. The search giant today released Google Commerce Search, which includes features like spell check, synonyms, sorting and parametric search, and is aimed to serve as the search engine on Web sites of retailers and other companies of all sizes.

Google said that the service has been fine-tuned for commercial search and customer queries. The Commerce Search tool will carry built-in features such as spell-checking and suggestions to help customers find items.

“We’re excited to bring Google Commerce Search to market in time for the holidays,” said Google enterprise president Dave Girouard, in a statement. “To date the technology powering retail website stores has not kept pace with innovation in search. Google Commerce Search will help customers find accurate results extremely fast, to the benefit of retailers and customers alike.”

Additionally, the service is designed to integrate with Google’s other enterprise tools, such as the Google Analytics service and the Google Product Search inventory tool.

Google’s Mangtani noted that the commerce search service is not only aimed for the handful of top-tier e-commerce companies, like Amazon.com Inc, most of which employ their own home-grown technology.

Google’s main search rival, Microsoft’s new Bing engine, has been making online shopping one of its top focuses. And while some would see Google Commerce Search as a way to ward off Bing’s e-commerce efforts, Google is going after the retailer, while Bing is going after the actual shopper.

Pricing for the tool starts at $50,000 will be based on the number of items on the user’s retail site.

Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, Inc., however said it’s a bit of an odd move for Google. “Well, Google tries a lot of things, and has been trying to make its way in the enterprise with Google Apps , but this is aimed at a vertical – ecommerce vendors,” said Gottheil. “It does seem odd… It doesn’t seem strategic to me.” “This may be an attempt to head off something they expect Microsoft to do,” added Gottheil.

The commerce search product is the freshest example of Google’s venture in to expansion from Internet search and advertising-based businesses into technology products aimed at corporate customers.