August 21, 2017

Google is reaching out to publishers with new tools to try to earn their favor – and to compete with Facebook, reports Bloomberg. The first tool being tested is a new version of an old Google tool called ‘First Click Free,’ and it lets readers access articles from subscription publications they’ve found through Google searches. According to a Google support page, it is a way to ‘meter’ users who access paid content through Google news or a Google search. Bloomberg says that Google’s other tools will focus on online payments and the ability to target possible subscribers. By doing so, Google shows publishers it can be a partner as well as a competitor.