New Google trial lets users swap answers for content

As anyone in the news industry can tell you, readers aren’t rushing to pay publishers for access to their content, but Google is testing the idea that readers might be more willing to exchange like for like, answering a market research question in order to access news or information.

The trial was uncovered by Neiman Journalism Lab, who stumbled upon it “while trying to access parts of the government employee salary database on the Texas Tribune” via Google. The foundation funded news site gave users the option to either register, or answer a question about which medium they prefer for having conversations with “people you care about”.

Other questions whether you’ve heard of Google Docs, what kinds of electronic equipment you have in your home, how many credit cards you own, or the holiday-appropriate “For Halloween, do you prefer to receive a trick or a treat when you knock on someone’s door?” A simple click on one of the provided answers and you’re through the gate; it’s market-research-as-paywall.

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[caption id=“attachment_80445” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The idea of swapping market research data for content is a smart one as people are likely to be more willing to part with information than money, especially in these straitened times. Getty Images”]  [/caption]

A Google spokesperson declined to offer Neiman Labs further information, simply saying:

“Google regularly experiments, together with a variety of publisher partners, with new engagement and content presentation technologies. This is just one such experiment we’re running.”

The idea of swapping market research data for content is a smart one as people are likely to be more willing to part with information than money, especially in these straitened times. For publishers, the information they gather from their readers could be crucial to developing a clearer idea of their audience demographics, and marketers are constantly clamouring for more information about the audience that sites serve.

Whilst web statistics packages such as Google Analytics or Statcounter give website owners useful information about where their users are, how long they spend on the site, where they came from and which country their browser says they are based in, it provides no information about the user themselves. Questions such as ‘How old are they? What is important to them? Why are they visiting?’ remain unanswered. Marketers want to know even more detailed information including how much money readers make and what purchases they intend to make in the next year.

An easy system to trade content for answers could be a boon to publishers and users alike, providing publishers with useful, actionable data.

Certainly people appear to be quite happy to answer questions about themselves as recommendations website Hunch knows. Launched by Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake in March 2009, Hunch asks users questions about themselves so that it can craft recommendations of books, food, video games and fashion.

Hunch recently teamed up with Netflix in the US to allow users of both services to get film rental recommendations. By hooking their Netflix movie watching history up to Hunch’s social recommendation engine users’ preferences are analysed to create personalised recommendations.

Given the problems that publishers have getting their content in front of the right audience, the problems users have in finding the right content, and the lack of detailed audience understanding that most website owners suffer, Google’s project could be on to a winner.

The current trial is much simpler than Hunch but could evolve into something that benefits both publisher and audience in a deeper, more meaningful way than simply swapping one bit of info for another. According to The Next Web, publishers wishing to sign up for the trial can fill in a Google form.