Google is literally driving the process of defining "performance" and at a relentless pace. Their recent announcement couldn't be more significant: They're allowing advertisers the means to optimize their CPC ads against advertiser-defined customer/order acquisition goals.

Hello, CJ/Valueclick! Hello, DoubleclickPerformics! Hello, Linkshare and hello Yahoo! et al!

Google's ability to control this entire conversation and create this entire market is un-matched. They are rapidly adapting to a coming shift — away from 'traditional CPC' toward CPA — and there stands to be serious roadkill when all is said and done.

I must quote DigitalMoses' editor.

"Google has threatened to do this for some time, beginning in June of 2006 when they announced their first CPA venture, the content referral network, which they followed up with Pay per action beta in March of this year with the official launch taking place towards the end of July. With their usual genius, Google leveraged their expansive publisher network to gain the necessary insight into performance – leveraging their long tail of often underwhelming publisher placements – as well as building up an increasing stable of advertisers….

Having all those pieces in place – CPA advertisers, the publisher placements and acceptance, Google could then connect the two and offer advertisers a true CPA product. And, that's just what they did on the 24th of September."

I'll throw in Umair Haque for good measure.

"That's Google's strategy-it's about edge leverage creating enormous amounts of space for new strategic moves in a industry bereft of any kind of strategic imagination."

Where's the strategic imagination within the CPA "affiliate marketing" industry? Buller? Buller?