Google to provide sponsored searches on Ask.co.uk

by Jennifer Whitehead,, Brand Republic 19-May-03, 15:00

LONDON - Ask Jeeves UK is to use rival search engine Google's AdWords programme to provide sponsored links on its site, expanding a deal the two internet companies already have in the US.

The deal will help Google's AdWords sponsored advertising programme reach the 6.6m unique users of Ask.co.uk, the 11th most visited internet property in the UK.

News of the deal pushed shares in Ask Jeeves to levels unseen since November 2000 after it announced the agreement with Google in the UK.

Ask Jeeves' stock hit $12.39, up 11% or $1.25 on the Nasdaq. Last year, Ask Jeeves shares were selling at $1.38.

Adrian Cox, chief executive officer of Ask Jeeves UK, said: "The strength of the search advertising market, along with the value of our search traffic, resulted in lively competition for our UK business.

"The performance of the Google programme on Ask.com, coupled with the rapid growth of the AdWords advertiser base in the UK, make Google a valuable partner."

AdWords is Google's sponsored search service, charging advertisers every time someone clicks the paid-for link after performing a search.

Ask Jeeves recently appointed TBWA\Chiat\Day in the US to create its first advertising campaign for two years. The search engine has been redeveloping its search technology and wants to position itself as an advanced search engine for use every day, shifting away from its original proposition of being a plain-language search engine for internet novices.

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