AOL & Google expand their partnership while MSN cancels its partnership with LookSmart; LookSmart launches Sponsored listings; and iProspect is named as a fast-growing company.
America Online and Google said on Tuesday that they have extended their partnership. Expanded services include localized search responses, which will make it easier to find businesses, services or stores based on zip codes. Google will also provide AOL and users of other services such as CompuServe with its sponsored links, which pull from Google's base of more than 150,000 advertisers.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Internet division announced it will end its licensing agreement with LookSmart Ltd. in January 2004. Not to be discouraged, LookSmart the following day announced the launch of Sponsored Listings, its first bid-for-placement search listings product. The Company also announced that it is distributing Sponsored Listings across a network of partners that includes CNET, Road Runner, InfoSpace, LookSmart.com, Cox Internet, Mamma.com and Alltel.
In other search news, iProspect, which calls itself “The Original(R) Search Engine Marketing Firm”, has been honored as the 47th fastest growing company in Inc. Magazine's 22nd annual Inc. 500 list. iProspect also was noted for being the fifth-fastest growing company in the advertising and marketing segment, having established a remarkable five-year revenue growth of 2,785%. The Inc. 500 Special Issue will appear on newsstands October 14 and will be on display until January 2004.
