Google Enterprise starts trawl for agency support

by Kate Magee , PR Week UK 01-May-08, 06:00

Google Enterprise, a division of Google that offers businesses their own search engines, is on the hunt for agency support.

Head of comms Annette Ryszkowska confirmed that the division was looking for an external agency and said she expected to have one in place in the next few weeks.

Google had been working with Octopus Communications on this piece of business, but the relationship has now ended. The search firm retains Portland PR for its corporate account and Cow PR for consumer project work.

Google Enterprise products can be used to search intranets, document and content management systems, file servers, corporate desktops and applications such as business intelligence. They can also be used on public websites to help customers and business partners.

Ryszkowska, who is leading the search, joined the company last year from Bite where she was associate director (PRWeek, 8 June 2007). She reports to European comms and public affairs director Rachel Whetstone, who joined Google in November 2005. Whetstone is a former special adviser to ex-Conservative leader Michael Howard.

Google stirred up controversy recently with its decision to allow brand owners to bid against each other for keywords trademarked by rivals. From 5 May, consumers using the search engine to hunt for a brand or company will receive sponsored listings for rivals.

Tesco has become the first major advertiser to say it will not attempt to bid on search terms relating to its competitors on moral grounds.