Google Reports First Quarter Growth

Google has revealed that it saw 20% growth in users clicking through to paid for ads in the first three months of 2008.

The search engine giant also reported profit after tax of $1.3 billion (£655 million) for the first quarter of 2008.

In March, figures from research firm comScore appeared to show that the growth in the number of US web users clicking on Google ads was slowing.

According to the comScore data, the figures marked the second month in a row that the clickthrough rate had fallen (see Google Clickthrough Growth Slowing).

Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said: “Our paid click growth is much higher than has been suggested by third parties.”

Google is also reported to be close to taking over Yahoo!’s web search advertising as part of its attempt at blocking Microsoft’s unwelcome $42 billion takeover bid.

Earlier this week, the IPA criticised Google’s plans to scrap advertisers’ exclusive right to bid on key words for their own brands (see IPA Slams Google’s Key Word Search Plans).

From 5 May any advertiser or agency will be able to bid on trademarked single words in the UK and Ireland (see Google To Allow Keyword Bidding On All Search Terms).

Google: 020 7031 3000 www.google.co.uk/