There are some seriously flustered feathers over the Google ETP when it got announced, knocking the IPA off its perch before it knew what had happened.

Media journalists in the UK  have leaped on the story with the primary headline that Google are 'ending agency commission'  which wrongly sounds like everyone was getting it in the first place...a debate that is probably more important than the ETP itself?

The problem is because of the rapid growth of Googles Adwords search advertising programme which is hugely successful, there have not been any clear guidelines. Some agencies are getting commissions and some are not which in many minds created unfair trading conditions, hence the conflicting messages the media press will be hearing about the Google ETPs impact.  Some agencies think it's bad for others it is really good.

The sentiment I'm picking up is that search marketing agencies are generally happy that there is finally a public policy because they can finally compete based on their skills and quality of service, but traditional media buyers used to receiving some sort of kickback are not.  It has even worse implications agencies that were passing some of their commission back to clients as an incentive for winning contracts.

Rising to the challenge of assessing an industry response the Search Marketing Association has announced a meeting on the 2nd of November at 11am at the Premier Travel Inn Kings Cross, for all agencies that would like to discuss the recent Google changes,  SMA-UK members and non-members are all welcome.