Google is working on new tools to help “dozens” of media outlets boost their online subscription models, confirmed reports. The testing will involve revamp of its “first click free” feature that allows access via Google search results to article that requires subscription, online payment process and targeting potential subscribers. It is being said that the firm may also reduce the number of free articles users can access from three a day.
Bloomberg had earlier reported Google is developing such tools and has begun testing them with New York Times and the Financial Times. It is being noted that much of the publication can now not solely live on advertising alone and the rising internet hits on social media sites like Facebook can help them sustain in the market.
According to a report by eMarketer, Google and Facebook together collect nearly half of global spending ads. Last year, the US-digital marketing grew by $12 billion with over 77 per cent contribution from the two firms alone.
Meanwhile, the two have been engaged in various programs to satisfy media outlets. While Facebook is developing a tool to enable users to subscribe to news organizations via its mobile app, Google has enabled publishers to put up paywalls for articles delivered through Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs) which are fast-loading and appear in Google search results on smartphones, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Further development over Google’s project is expected to hear in September.
