U.S. online ad revenue hit $21.2 billion in 2007

U.S. online ad spending increased 26 percent in 2007 over 2006, as the Google-dominated search format not only remained the market's largest, but also increased its share of the overall pie. ...continue reading 'U.S. online ad revenue hit $21.2 billion in 2007'

Microsoft should sideline search, focus on strengths

Microsoft should consider putting its search-advertising endeavors on the back burner for now and attempt an end run at Google by trying to become a leader in the display-, video- and mobile-advertising markets, where no company is a clear leader yet. ...continue reading 'Microsoft should sideline search, focus on strengths'

LinkedIn prepares for lucrative push into Europe

LinkedIn is building up its European operations in order to carve out a larger piece of the social-networking pie. ...continue reading 'LinkedIn prepares for lucrative push into Europe'

MySpace user ad targeting will be optional

MySpace will give users the option of whether they want to participate in a targeted advertising system that mines their profile's information, a senior company official said on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'MySpace user ad targeting will be optional'

SEMs crave more search ad competition, eye MS-Yahoo

If Microsoft acquires Yahoo, the search engine ad market could gain a viable and sorely needed competitor to Google, but only if the post-merger integration is done with speed and precision. ...continue reading 'SEMs crave more search ad competition, eye MS-Yahoo'

Controversial ad system keeps its eye on the money

Just a few weeks before the deployment of its controversial ad-targeting system, the CEO of Phorm is making a case that the system will allow less popular Web sites to gain more advertising revenue and give ISPs a cut. ...continue reading 'Controversial ad system keeps its eye on the money'

ISPs meddled with their customers' Web traffic, study finds

About one percent of the Web pages being delivered on the Internet are being changed in transit, sometimes in a harmful way, according to researchers at the University of Washington. ...continue reading 'ISPs meddled with their customers' Web traffic, study finds'

Microsoft proposes tiered privacy in online advertising

Microsoft has proposed a tiered approach to protecting the privacy of people targeted by online advertising, saying advertisers should get permission before using sensitive, personally identifiable information to deliver ads. ...continue reading 'Microsoft proposes tiered privacy in online advertising'

Yahoo previews online ad management platform

Yahoo said Monday it will have a Web-based system in place to buy online ad space across some 600 newspapers and other online sites as soon as July. ...continue reading 'Yahoo previews online ad management platform'

Questionable search ads slip by Yahoo

Yahoo recently expanded the list of products that can't be advertised on its search engine, but it appears the company could be more stringent in enforcing its ad rejection policies. ...continue reading 'Questionable search ads slip by Yahoo'

Google's paid search growth soft again in February

For the second straight month, a comScore report suggests that Google's revenue engine is slowing down, highlighting again the perils of the company's overwhelming dependence on a single type of online advertising to fuel its business. ...continue reading 'Google's paid search growth soft again in February'

Report: Microsoft, Yahoo enter tentative discussions

Microsoft and Yahoo executives met for the first time on Monday to discuss Microsoft's initial $44.6 billion cash and stock bid for the company, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. ...continue reading 'Report: Microsoft, Yahoo enter tentative discussions'

Microsoft to buy Rapt for ad management tools

Microsoft hasn't yet snagged Yahoo, but it plans to acquire another company it hopes will boost its online advertising yields: Rapt, of San Francisco. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to buy Rapt for ad management tools'

Google launches hosted ad management service

Google launched a free hosted service on Thursday that helps Web site publishers sell advertising faster and fill unsold slots on their sites. ...continue reading 'Google launches hosted ad management service'

DoubleClick could snap Google out of its funk

After getting approval from the European Union for its DoubleClick acquisition Tuesday, Google promptly closed the deal and said it is eager to absorb the digital marketing company's technology and services -- and who can blame Google for its urgency? ...continue reading 'DoubleClick could snap Google out of its funk'

E.U. approves Google-DoubleClick deal

Google's acquisition of DoubleClick does not pose a significant threat to competition in the European online advertising market, the European Commission said Tuesday. However, it reminded the companies that they also have an obligation to respect European Union legislation on the privacy of personal data, one of the grounds on which opponents lobbied to block the merger. ...continue reading 'E.U. approves Google-DoubleClick deal'

Ballmer grilled on Yahoo deal in quirky Q&A

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer couldn't avoid being trampled by the elephant in the room - the company's bid to acquire Yahoo - during a quirky keynote Q&A session at the company's MIX 08 conference Thursday. ...continue reading 'Ballmer grilled on Yahoo deal in quirky Q&A'

Ozzie: Microsoft needs Yahoo for Web, advertising plan

Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie on Wednesday attempted to clarify Microsoft's Web-based advertising and services strategy and lay a case for why buying Yahoo is integral to that plan. ...continue reading 'Ozzie: Microsoft needs Yahoo for Web, advertising plan'

Yahoo allows more time to nominate board members

Yahoo has lifted next week's deadline for nominating directors to its board, an attempt to discourage Microsoft from launching a proxy fight to replace the current board with members willing to approve its Yahoo acquisition bid. ...continue reading 'Yahoo allows more time to nominate board members'

Ballmer: Yahoo still in Microsoft's sights

Microsoft still has its eye on Yahoo, but CEO Steve Ballmer would not say Monday whether the company plans to pursue a proxy fight to remove Yahoo's board. ...continue reading 'Ballmer: Yahoo still in Microsoft's sights'