In search of good PR, BP buys sponsored search links

BP, which has been attempting rather unsuccessfully to contain the Gulf oil spill which is already the worst is U.S. history, is attempting to control PR, as well. In addition to the multiple TV ads trumpeting their efforts, BP has taken to buying sponsored links in search engines to make sure its company site is at the top of the page.

Sponsored links are those results that appear at the top or the right of a page of search results, often highlighted in different background to attract attention.

An example is results from searching for "gulf oil disaster" in Google. You'll get the result above, where BP's site is highlighted at the top of the page. The sponsored link is described: "Info about the Gulf of Mexico Spill Learn More about How BP is Helping." You'll get the same link at the top of the page if you search for "oil spill," as well as with other terms.

As you can see below, you get the same sort of sponsored links at Yahoo! and Bing, as well.





Honestly, it's a great PR move. Queries about the oil spill have been at the top of search trends since the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion, which killed 11 platform workers and injured 17 others.