By
Danny Sullivan, Editor-In-Chief August 13, 2004
The
services listed below generally sell paid listings on a cost-per-click or CPC
basis. They are also sometimes called PPC or pay per click search engines. Advertisers
pay for every click the search engine sends them, and those who pay the most generally
get listed higher.
Major Pay Per Click Search Engines
Google
AdWords
https://adwords.google.com The Google AdWords program
places paid listings within Google's search results, as well as on some other
sites that carry its listings (see the Who Powers Whom?
- Search Providers Chart for a rundown of major partnerships). Winner of
best paid placement service in the 4th Annual Search Engine
Watch Awards.
Search Engine Watch's Submitting Via Paid Listings:
Overture & Google AdWords page provides basic tips on getting starting with
Google AdWords. Search Engine Watch members have access to the How Google
Works area, which provides in-depth coverage of Google's paid listings program.
Learn more about becoming a member on the membership information page.
Overture
http://www.overture.com/
Overture is the oldest major paid placement search engine. It distributes
its listings to a wide-range of search engines, including that of its owner, Yahoo
(see the Who Powers Whom? - Search Providers Chart for a rundown of major partnerships).
Overture launched as GoTo in 1997 and incorporated the former University of Colorado-based
World Wide Web Worm. In February 1998, it shifted to its pay-for-placement model.
The company changed its name from GoTo to Overture in October 2001. It was purchased
by Yahoo in October 2003. Overture was second place for best paid placement service
in the 4th Annual Search Engine Watch Awards.
Search Engine Watch's Submitting
Via Paid Listings: Overture & Google AdWords page provides basic tips on getting
starting with paid listings at Overture. Search Engine Watch members have
access to the How Overture Works area, which provides in-depth coverage of how
cost-per-click ads can be placed with Overture. Learn more about becoming a member
on the membership information page.
Major Second Tier
PPC Players
Espotting.com
http://www.espotting.com/
Major paid placement service with wide distribution in the United Kingdom
and Europe. It merged with FindWhat (below) in July 2004 and operates as a division
of that company. Honorable mention for best paid placement service in the 4th
Annual Search Engine Watch Awards.
FindWhat.com
http://www.findwhat.com/
FindWhat is an important paid placement service in particular because the
company has distribution on many major meta search engines. Honorable mention
for best paid placement service in the 4th Annual Search Engine Watch Awards.
LookSmart LookListings
http://listings.looksmart.com/
Provides both PPC-based paid inclusion listings and more traditional PPC-based
paid placement listings that have wide distribution on second tier search engines
and meta search engines
Other Notable Services
Enhance (formerly ah-ha)
ePilot.com
Kanoodle
Lycos
Insite AdBuyer
Mirago:
Serves the UK/Europe. Honorable mention for best paid placement service in
the
4th Annual Search Engine Watch Awards for leading the industry with traffic
