Google Introduces New Pricing For Popular Self-Service Online Advertising Program

Highly targeted text-based ads complement Google's objective search results

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - February 20, 2002 - Google Inc., developer of the award-winning Google search engine, today announced the availability of AdWords Select (TM), an updated version of the AdWords self-service advertising system with a number of new enhancements, including cost-per-click (CPC)-based pricing. This dynamic pricing plan enables advertisers to pay only when their ads are clicked on by users. Google's Premium ads will continue to be priced on a CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) basis.

Additionally, AdWords Select ads are ordered on Google search results pages in a new way. Unlike cost-per-click services, the top advertisement position (located to the right of Google's search results) is not automatically granted to the advertiser willing to pay the highest price. AdWords Select ranking is determined by a combination of ad performance (click-thru rate) and how much an advertiser agrees to pay per click. This advertisement ranking method ensures that users see the most relevant ads first. Google's unbiased search results continue to be produced through a fully automated process and are unaffected by payment.

"Millions of users around the world rely on Google's objective search results to find the information they need," said Omid Kordestani, Google's senior vice president of worldwide sales and business development. "AdWords Select brings the same quality and relevancy to Google's sponsored links that our users have come to expect from our non-commercial search results. This combination of unbiased and commercial results provides an even more valuable search experience for our users."

Benefits of AdWords Select include:

Additional information about AdWords Select can be found at http://adwords.google.com/select.

About Google Inc.
With the largest index of websites available on the World Wide Web and the industry's most advanced search technology, Google Inc. delivers the fastest and easiest way to find relevant information on the Internet. Google's technological innovations have earned the company numerous industry awards and citations, including two Webby Awards; two WIRED magazine Readers Raves Awards; Best Internet Innovation and Technical Excellence Award from PC Magazine; Best Search Engine on the Internet from Yahoo! Internet Life; Top Ten Best Cybertech from TIME magazine; and Editor's Pick from CNET. A growing number of companies worldwide, including Yahoo! and its international properties, Sony Corporation and its global affiliates, AOL/Netscape, and Cisco Systems, rely on Google to power search on their websites. A privately held company based in Mountain View, Calif., Google's investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital. More information about Google can be found on the Google site at http://www.google.com.