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News Outlets Bid Up Search Word Prices

"Virgina Tech Shooting" peaked at $5 before dropping to six cents

By Dustin Lushing, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 30, 2007 8:24 AM CDT

(Newser) – Online news outlets, usually the ones selling sponsored links to advertisers, are also buying them, to compete for traffic, especially during major news events like the Virginia Tech massacre. From CNN to Fox to the New York Times, news organizations are bidding on Internet keywords at auction from search engines, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Stations are paying an average of 39 cents a click for sponsored links that appear next to ongoing stories like the Iraq War. But breaking news can prompt a price war in keywords: "Virgina Tech Shooting" peaked at five dollars before dropping to six cents.

Mourners gather around a makeshift memorial in front of Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech for a moment of silence to honor the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting in Blacksburg, Va., Friday, April 20, 2007.... (Associated Press)

' (Associated Press)

slaying of 32 students and faculty members at Virginia Tech University. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man) (Associated Press)

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News Outlets Bid Up Search Word Prices

"Virgina Tech Shooting" peaked at $5 before dropping to six cents

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eBay Shuts Window on Google Ads

Auction site drops search giant's marketing tools after weeklong spat

Print Times Not Quite Dead, But Hope Lies in Its Ashes

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YouTube Partners Carve Out Niche, Rake In Cash

Sharing ad revenue boosts income for YouTube and lets videomakers hone skills

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Market expected to explode as media companies retool

Newspaper Ad Profits Down Despite Increase in Online Ads

Editorial staff cuts loom, classifieds hardest hit

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News Outlets Bid Up Search Word Prices

"Virgina Tech Shooting" peaked at $5 before dropping to six cents

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Internet • newspaper • advertising • online advertising • Washington Post • keywords • CNN • Fox • Iraq war

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

eBay Shuts Window on Google Ads

Auction site drops search giant's marketing tools after weeklong spat

Print Times Not Quite Dead, But Hope Lies in Its Ashes

Journalism faces a challenge, but hardly a disaster

YouTube Partners Carve Out Niche, Rake In Cash

Sharing ad revenue boosts income for YouTube and lets videomakers hone skills

Web Videos May Be Ad Gold Mine

Market expected to explode as media companies retool

Newspaper Ad Profits Down Despite Increase in Online Ads

Editorial staff cuts loom, classifieds hardest hit

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?