REUTERS/Katarina Stoltz
Google could help you find your next professional
The company plans to announce a new product to help its users connect with home services providers, sources tell BuzzFeed's Caroline O'Donovan.
Meaning, if you Google "plumber," you could be directly connected with a local professional, not just through ads that that service provider bought as is the case today.
Amazon just launched a very similar service in March which will provide a marketplace of vetted professionals, complete with reviews and upfront pricing. Although BuzzFeed's source didn't say whether Google's new product would have those features, it would make sense. The company just launched a car insurance comparison tool that quickly and easily gives users a bunch of quotes when they search for insurance and then answer a few questions. It's easy to imagine Google's new product doing the same thing.
Google's move into this space would mark the latest step in the competition between the two giants. Amazon Prime Now and Google Express both want to be your one-stop shop for one-hour deliveries. Google wants to stop people from starting their product searches on Amazon through its product listing ads. They're duking it out to dominate cloud computing. Home services is another frontier for them to battle it out for customer attention.
Giants like Google and Amazon aren't the only ones taking a swing at professionals-on-demand space, either. Two Seattle companies, Porch and Pro.com, both want to make it easier for users to connect with home improvement professionals, too.
Business Insider reached out to Google for comment and will update if we hear back.
Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.