GoTo.com Claims 10,000 Advertisers

Pay-for-placement search site GoTo.com said that as of June 1999, 10,000 advertisers actively participated in its online marketplace.

Advertisers pay a fee, which they set, only when a GoTo user clicks through to their site, providing them with tight control of customer acquisition costs.

GoTo also said that since the launch of its Search Syndication Network (SSN) in December 1998, the program has attracted more than 80,000 participating affiliate sites. SSN enables any Web site — no matter what size — to incorporate GoTo.com’s search functionality for free into its site. Sites can generate revenue from the click-throughs they generate.

The company estimates that, in June 1999, more than 10 million unique visitors used its search service from its stand-alone site and other sites across its network.

Advertisers bid in an ongoing auction for priority placement in the keyword search results with the highest bidder’s site appearing first in the results. Each advertiser pays GoTo.com the amount of its bid whenever a consumer clicks on an advertiser’s listing in the search results.