Keith Moore, head of online insurance agency CoverHound, which worked with Google on Compare, said he thought the closure of the site was temporary and that Google hopes to retool and eventually relaunch the comparison tool.
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In the UK, Google Compare is the trading name of BeatThatQuote.com Ltd, and-according to Companies House records-the firm has been operating at a considerable loss. However, Google Compare’s auto insurance products only skidded into view for customers searching for deals in late 2012.
The conflict centred on a long-standing row over payments for newspaper content, which Google makes freely available via its online platforms Google News, YouTube and other services.
In an email acquired by the website Search Engine Land, Google informed its partners that all Compare products – mortgage, insurance and credit card – would begin winding down immediately and shutter for good on March 23.
Nearly 5 years ago, Google launched Google Advisor, which ultimately turned into Google Compare. The publication also noted that Google failed to convince some big insurers and lenders to be part of Compare, leading to limited choices and people seeking answers elsewhere. We greatly appreciate your partnership and understand that this decision will be disappointing to some.
Earlier, Google earned huge success when comparing shopping sites for air travel and e-commerce.
The reversal is a setback for Google and its plans to sell more ads on the back of financial services services data and information.
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A Google spokesperson added that while searches on queries remained high, the service didn’t acquire the level of traction it desired, and revenue suffered as a result.
