Google stock is getting a good slap in after-hour trading this afternoon after missing expectations... down almost 8% now.
MarketWatch GOOG stock
MarketWatch GOOG stock
Um, yeah I think they do need to re-exam some of their QS issues.'Paid clicks' a concern
Another point of concern was Google's rate of "paid clicks" on search advertisements that generate revenue. While its paid-click rate has been declining recently, Google executives have portrayed the trend as a result of quality initiatives.
Those initiatives have included reducing the graphical format of ads to cut down on accidental clicks, and the reduced sale of lower-priced keywords to advertisers.
Google said Thursday that its paid clicks decreased 1% from the previous quarter, but grew 19% compared with the same period a year earlier.
Company co-founder Sergey Brin said there's some evidence that Google may have been "more aggressive" than necessary in implementing some of its quality initiatives, though it continues to make adjustments.
"We've actually been reexamining some of that," he added.