• Reuters, Thursday, September 1, 2011 11:35 AM

In what Reuters is calling a first, Google this week promoted a Groupon-like daily deals offer directly on its home page. It was "a rare instance of the Internet giant using its prized online real estate for advertising," Reuters writes. Dubbed Google Offers, the search giant debuted its Groupon rival in select cities earlier this year.

What does the premier plug mean? For one, it "may signal an escalation of competition with Groupon," suggests Reuters. "The pair are vying for advertising dollars from local businesses, such as restaurants and retail stores." Also of note, Hitwise reported earlier this week that Groupon has seen its traffic decline nearly 50% since a peak in the second week of June.

Might Google be seizing the opportunity to kick a competitor in decline? Either way, as Reuters adds: "Google has traditionally resisted using its homepage for promotions, save for occasionally pushing in-house products, such as its Chrome Web browser or its now-defunct Nexus S phone."

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