[ako]

Google has determined that the best way to bring visitors to the newssites is by showing a few lines of the news item. Apparently google vistors are more likely to click on a link if they see a few lines of text.

This benefits the newssite, not google.

Those few lines function as an advertisement for the actual article. Usually companies have to pay for advertisements...

[shkkmo]

> This benefits the newssite, not google.

Since Google makes money off of most online ad sales, it often directly benefits Google as well.

[PyroLagus]

If the news site uses AdSense, which quite a few do, then yes. But I'm not sure if Google's extra profit is that significant. Especially when compared to the benefits the news sites get.

[shkkmo]

While Google does have Facebook as a real competitor, that competition is not on the ad networks side. Google controls the vast majority of ad networks sales (i.e. ads placed on publisher's sites)

Google makes a significant portion of the value for each ad.

> For displaying ads with AdSense for content, publishers receive 68% of the revenue recognized by Google in connection with the service. For AdSense for search, publishers receive 51% of the revenue recognized by Google. [ 0]

[0] https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/180195?hl=en