Originally published July 10 2004
Growth rate slows for search engine advertising
by Mike Adams, NaturalNews Editor
Search engine advertising (paid search) is still growing, but not as quickly as it used to. It's a sign that the market for search engines is maturing, and that firms like Google and Yahoo may be settling in for the long haul.
- Paid search, the engine that's driving many Internet companies into profitability, is getting a dose of reality.
- The first and most pronounced sign of this trend taking hold occurred Wednesday, when Web giant Yahoo reported quarterly earnings that only met Wall Street expectations.
- Because Yahoo's Overture Services subsidiary runs one of the largest paid search businesses--and counts CNN and Microsoft's MSN as clients--its results are closely watched as a litmus test for the industry.
- The other heavyweight is Google, which feeds cash to big-name partners such as America Online and Ask Jeeves.
- During a conference call Wednesday with analysts, Yahoo executives admitted that its paid search query volume and pricing were flat last quarter, causing a scare on Wall Street.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml