As Google Chairman, and former CEO, Eric Schmidt recently explained, “Many people think our main competition is Bing or Yahoo. But, really, our biggest search competitor is Amazon. People don’t think of Amazon as search, but if you are looking for something to buy, you are more often than not looking for it on Amazon.” (Business Insider, October 2014)

Over the last year, Google has introduced a series of pieces to its proverbial puzzle, perhaps even its master plan. Google will soon evolve from a search engine, into a monetization platform for online and in-home commerce. Most of all, Google will disintermediate retailers and brands both online and in the physical world.

A gigantic puzzle piece is Google Express, with which the goliath company transitions from the virtual world to the physical world, and walks directly into your home. Google Express offers consumers the opportunity to shop online and receive same-day delivery.

The online to offline paradigm is the greatest conquest of commerce today. For example, Uber recently announced its merchant delivery program that will allow online shoppers to get same-day delivery of goods through both Uber Rush couriers and Uber drivers.

Amazon’s primary web traffic is consumer-driven, but their secondary source of traffic is from Google searches. What collateral damage will Google’s shift create? How will Amazon get hit when traffic diverts to Google Express? How will participating Google Express retailers see e-commerce operations impacted?

Only time will tell how this battle will unfold. How will two great players like Google and Amazon position their pieces on the chessboard? Will Uber prove to be a formidable opponent? There is no doubt that this bloody battle will leave companies that leverage each of them for their own significant revenue as corpses on the field as it progresses.

Placeable CEO, Ari Kaufman, leads the local digital marketing technology provider of large multi-location brands based in Denver. Ari’s 20 year career within online media has included successfully running and exiting an online media publisher, an interactive agency and an online media software business that respectively crossed the display, search, ad serving, geo-spatial and SEO markets. Ari’s previous success at running companies that raised angel venture capital and private equity capital will attribute to his ability to lend great experience to Denver Startup Week.

If you work within the online media space, you need to hear how Google will permanently change the search engine experience. If you are a founder, whose company is in some way impacted by Google, join us to learn how advertisers will be impacted over the long haul. If you are an investor interested in the digital media industry growth and areas opportunities, you need to know how the consumer experience will change both on and offline. Or if you plan on attending Denver Startup Week, simply to learn more about digital media trends that directly impact your lives, then you should come and hear how one company can assist with the transition of this ever-changing market.

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