AltaVista to accept bids for ad
placement
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
April 15, 1999, 8:50 a.m. PT
AltaVista is trying to get more bang for the buck in Web searches.
The Compaq Computer-owned Web search engine will begin allowing
advertisers to bid for top billing on search query results, an AltaVista
spokeswoman said.
AltaVista traditionally has incorporated its own search technology to pull up
search results. But allowing advertisers to bid for placement on its results
page will give AltaVista a revenue stream that extends beyond advertiser
placement throughout the site.
AltaVista contends its search engine will not radically change as a result of
the policy shift. "Nothing has changed with the search service, and when we
do roll something out, it will be clear to users that it's an advertisement," she
said.
But users may not think they are getting an "objective" search, critics
contend.
Having advertisers bid for placement is not new. Search engine GoTo
follows a similar system and includes the price for advertisers next to each
search result.
AltaVista's plans were first reported by Wired News.
Compaq is planning to take AltaVista public in hopes of cashing in on the
Internet initial public offering frenzy. The Houston-based computer giant
also has taken steps to beef up AltaVista's offerings. In recent months it has
acquired e-commerce site Shopping.com and local guide network Zip2.
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