Google has commissioned Knowledge Networks to create a panel of Internet surfers that it can study through a downloadable app supported by its Web browser Chrome. The program, Screenwise, pays participants up to $25 in gift cards to learn more about their habits online.
The Screenwise opt-in program, which a Google spokesperson calls a "small project," began earlier this year. "Everyone who participates has complete transparency and control over what Internet use is being included in the panel. People can stay on the panel as long as they like, or leave at any time," said a Google rep.
Google tapped Knowledge Networks to support its data analysis through panels, but Ian Everdell, research manager at Mediative, which supports eye tracking and online marketing, points to technology from comScore to explain how monitoring browsing behavior and searches gets done. He said that creating a panel based on data gleaned from a downloadable app can tell researchers the terms people search for while on the path to conversion, how long it took, and other information.
Using the Chrome browser, Google designed a tool to capture URLs, time spent on sites, the path to conversions, and other search and click behavior. Google probably can't capture the details of an ecommerce transaction, but can tell when someone buys a product and the length of time it might take for them to make the purchase, Everdell explains.
By signing up for the process, those participating will provide annual income, family dynamics, and more. "comScore also has an algorithm that can make inferences as to who is using the computer in a household, if multiple people use the same computer," Everdell said. "The panel of data gives insight into traffic patterns to similar sites and where marketers could potentially interact with them."
Obviously its all about Google wanting to serve more targeted ads to users, but could the future hold for Google to try to track this sort of data for all users, or at least more than many users would expect?