Google To Launch Health Section

Google today is expected to launch Google Health, a vertical search engine for health and fitness topics that will compete with Yahoo Health and MSN Health.

Google refused to confirm that it was offering the service, but numerous reports surfaced this week stating that the company will announce the product today. Screenshots posted on some Google-watching blogs show that the service will have six categories of information for health topics: treatment, research papers, 'from medical establishment,' symptoms, news, and alternative medicine. In addition to the information for patients, there also appears to be a separate set of topics for health professionals, including diagnosis and risk factors. The screenshots show search results pages accompanied by keyword ads.

The anticipated move comes less than two months after Google bowed a similar section for financial information, Google Finance. Google's efforts to promote that site have already raised some eyebrows. For instance, in a recent report, Merrill Lynch research analyst Justin Post criticized the company for giving Google Finance prominent placement in the paid results listing. When searchers type the word "finance" into Google's search engine, the top organic result is Yahoo Finance, but Google Finance claims the top paid link. "The promotion of Google Finance over paid advertiser links could be construed in our opinion as unfair to advertisers that want the #1 paid position," wrote Post.

So far, Google Finance hasn't captured much market share. Research firm Hitwise reports that, for the week ending May 4, Google Finance was ranked at number 43 in the business and information category.

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