When trying to keep up with news regarding the oil leak off the Gulf Coast, one would think the internet is a great place to stay up-to-date, but you may want to be careful where you click. ABC's blogging, "BP, the very company responsible for the oil spill that is already the worst in U.S. history, has purchased several phrases on search engines such as Google and Yahoo so that the first result that shows up directs information seekers to the company's official website. A spokesman for the company confirmed to ABC News that it had, in fact, bought these search terms to make information on the spill more accessible to the public. But several search engine marketing experts are questioning BP's intentions, suggesting that controlling what the public finds when they look online for oil spill information is just another way for the company to try and rebuild the company's suffering public image. Analysts estimate the company is paying upwards of $10,000 per day to maintain the various search terms." A simple Google search of "oil spill" turns up several thousand news results, but the first link, highlighted at the very top of the page, is from BP with the tagline, "learn more about how BP is helping."
Monday, June 7, 2010
BP Buys Google/Yahoo Search Terms
When trying to keep up with news regarding the oil leak off the Gulf Coast, one would think the internet is a great place to stay up-to-date, but you may want to be careful where you click. ABC's blogging, "BP, the very company responsible for the oil spill that is already the worst in U.S. history, has purchased several phrases on search engines such as Google and Yahoo so that the first result that shows up directs information seekers to the company's official website. A spokesman for the company confirmed to ABC News that it had, in fact, bought these search terms to make information on the spill more accessible to the public. But several search engine marketing experts are questioning BP's intentions, suggesting that controlling what the public finds when they look online for oil spill information is just another way for the company to try and rebuild the company's suffering public image. Analysts estimate the company is paying upwards of $10,000 per day to maintain the various search terms." A simple Google search of "oil spill" turns up several thousand news results, but the first link, highlighted at the very top of the page, is from BP with the tagline, "learn more about how BP is helping."
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