Google might presently be developing a technology that'll function like Snapchat's Discover tool, which will allow Google to let publishers and content creators create Snapchat-style stories. It will live right inside the Google search engine.
Largely, the stories will resemble the Discover Section on Snapchat, which makes Google the second company to copy Snap Inc.'s marquee features, following Facebook varied attempts to do the same.
Discover, for the uninitiated, mixes photos, videos, and text together and allows for short-form content, best fitting the mobile platform. Google will call its Snapchat Discover clone "Stamp," with "St" representing "stories," according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Furthermore, the company will build Stamp around its "AMP" mobile webpages designed to load faster than typical webpages. As per the report, Google has already entered discussions with a coterie of publishers, including CNN, Vox Media, The Washington Post, and Time to participate in the project. Using Stamp, these publishers will be given necessary tools to run stories Snapchat-style.
Google Stamp Can Show Up In Publishers' Sites
One more interesting thing about Stamp is that it might live not just inside Google's search engine but also inside other Google apps and, most importantly, on publishers' own sites. This essentially marks the big difference between Stamp and Snapchat because the latter only supports stories via its own app. Facebook's similar stories feature, meanwhile cross over to its mobile apps.
Being able to display Stamp stories right inside independent webpages essentially makes it a news dissemination and content viewer platform entirely, not merely a "feature" locked into Google's search engine.
Google Stamp Release Date
Google could announce it as early as next week, one source says.
"Ever since the beginning of AMP we've constantly collaborated with publishers, and are working on many new features," a Google spokesperson said, offering no further information.
Why Is Google Creating Stamp?
Stamp could serve as Google's answer to more and more people relying on Facebook for some primary sources of information, including news, feature articles, and others. Facebook's Instant Articles, though not as excellent as AMP, poses a big threat to Google's search business because of Facebook's app-centric approach of distributing information.
Simply put, the more people treat Facebook as a primary source of information, the fewer people turn to Google. Hence, the need for a much easier — and more importantly, familiar — form of news and content delivery.
Other details such as how revenue will be divided between Google and publishers remain murky. Expect due coverage if the reported release window next week pushes through.
