How does one build such google contacts if you are a seed stage startup? I understand it wouldn't be the same league as LinkedIn Reid Hoffman level contacts, but even some kind of contact at Google search?
I wish I knew. Easiest way is to make a ton of money off google ads like we did. Even then it was hard to actually talk to someone - especially at YouTube. And they had an office a few floors up...
https://support.google.com/news/publisher/answer/40543?hl=en
Apparently, we had something similar at Demand Media before the panda update.