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BP Buys "Oil Spill" Search Term

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the can't-say-i'm-surprised dept.

technology_dude found an unsurprising but amusing little story that BP is buying keywords on Google and Yahoo for things like "Oil Spill" to help spin some damage control. I guess if you can't plug your spill, the least you can do is try to clog the flow of information.

4 of 439 comments (clear)

  1. In the US. by leuk_he · · Score: 4, Informative

    If i google "oil spill" here (Netherlands) it does not show sponsered links.

  2. I get 2 sponsored links right now by Rockoon · · Score: 4, Informative

    One is to:

    www.BP.com/OilSpillNews "Info about the Gulf of Mexico Spill Learn More about How BP is Helping."

    The other is:

    Tar Ball Burner(tm) "Collect free tar balls from beaches and turn them into unleaded gas!"

    Please slashdot both of them.

    --
    "His name was James Damore."
  3. Re:Who Cares by delinear · · Score: 5, Informative

    You do realise that they've bought an ad space, they're not paying to bury all the other organic search results. It's one ad that appears in the clearly marked sponsored area and links to a page that gives some information about how they're trying (and failing) to do anything, with some webcams and a pitiful "have you got any ideas to help?" request. It's hardly preventing people finding the information they want, any more than Dulux are trying to destroy our cultural heritage by preventing us accessing information on the great artists because they show an ad when I search for "painting".

  4. Re:Who Cares by aicrules · · Score: 4, Informative

    While it may be good PR for them to have what they have on the Oil Spill link, it actually IS a very helpful link versus the rest of the results. Have you actually looked at what they have on that page? While the highlighted area is basically to let people know what they are doing, there is a bunch of very useful information and links also on that page. Important phone numbers, links to the four State response websites, ROV footage...stuff that they don't HAVE to put on a "Damage Control" link. They may only have done it because that was the only way to have any hope of repairing their image once this is over, but it's a better source of information that most of the other links you'll find in the results. AND it's in the sponsored link section, clearly pointing out that it's not just a run of the mill search result.