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Yesterday, we reported that auto industry folk weren’t too pleased about a new Google Search feature that displayed car specs in search results. Now, Google has clarified where exactly this data comes from and confirmed that it does not source it from the open web.
After our original article was published, the topic came up again on Twitter when Search Engine Round Table reporter Barry Schwartz tagged Google’s Public Search Liason Danny Sullivan in response to someone asking where Google sources its automotive data from.
Here is Sullivan’s response:
“We license the data shown. It’s not coming from schema or pages on the open web.”
We license the data shown. It’s not coming from schema or pages on the open web. — Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) September 22, 2021
As we reported yesterday, several SEOs involved in the automotive industry were not pleased that it appeared as if Google was sourcing data from automotive websites without stating where the data came from. One of the main concerns was that Google may have been “stealing” traffic from these sites without directing users back to the source.
Now, we know that this isn’t the case. Based on Sullivan’s comments, we can conclude that Google actually licenses this data and therefore pays to use it. This means that Google does not need to state where it obtained the data. This is similar to how Google licenses weather data.
So, there you have it. We’re glad that this one was cleared up and all the confusion can be put to bed.
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