Who says Google has stopped experimenting? With little fanfare, the company has launched a new service, the “Google Supplier Directory Beta” earlier this month to connect companies with Chinese manufacturers. The service, a part of the AdWords program, lists several Chinese-based firms, their product details, export markets, annual revenue (in RMB), and more.
The Directory only features ten companies right now, so no search function is provided (or needed). The site’s main page lists the company name, a brief description, plus its revenue, markets served, number of employees, location and whether or not the company has been audited. Google says it verified the information via third party provider Sinotrust, but it may not remain up-to-date as company conditions change.
Users can also choose to customize the columns displayed on the homepage using a drop-down on the right. Other options here include “capital” and “year established.”
On an individual company’s page, there is more detail provided, including the company contact information and location on a map. There’s also a red “Contact Supplier” button which allows users to reach out directly to the supplier through Google.
Google won’t discuss its future intentions with the service, which it refers to as a “test.” According to a Google spokesperson:
As part of our efforts to improve our advertising offerings, we’re currently testing the Google Supplier Directory, which provides information about manufacturers that sell electrical transformers and related components. This is a limited test with a very small number of manufacturers. We have nothing further to announce at this time.
More information about the service is available on this help page here.
Thanks, Travis Heinström