Search has become the entryway to the broader Internet for millions, as more and more people learn that it’s easier to get to a site with search than to type a long URL into the browser. Search allows people to type in a word or two and be presented with a list of relevant sites, enabling them to quickly find what they are looking for. Search not only cuts out awkward keystrokes, it also corrects for spelling errors, so you get to your destination faster and with less frustration. The growing number of people using portals and search sites confirms the growing importance of search. Portals such as Yahoo! and MSN have more than 130 million unique visitors a month and search sites such as Google have more than 110 million.
The search engine results pages on these sites represent access to millions of eyeballs. Savvy ecommerce organizations are recognizing the value of paid advertisements and sponsored links on these pages and are relying on them as a strategic source of traffic, revenue, and customer acquisition. Search has become a compelling advertising channel because search terms provide context which enables more precise targeting. Someone searching for auto dealers, for example, is probably looking to buy a car.
