Nielsen//NetRatings Signs AOL as Client

Nielsen//NetRatings, the Internet measurement service from Nielsen Media Research and NetRatings Inc., signed America Online as a client and said the online giant will begin using the service’s measurement and banner tracking services.

Nielsen//NetRatings currently tracks user and advertising activity at all AOL Internet sites, and reports top-line activity (reach and demographics) for AOL’s proprietary online service.

This summer, Nielsen//NetRatings plans to begin tracking channel-level activity within AOL’s proprietary service, and begin reporting AOL’s proprietary service in the Nielsen//NetRatings Top Web Sites by Property report.

“Nielsen Media Research has a strong history of recruiting and maintaining quality research panels,” said Marshall Cohen, senior vice president of brand development for AOL. “The Nielsen//NetRatings panel’s ability to report the traffic on the entire online universe — for online services as well as Web sites — in one easy-to-understand format is very important to the growth of the industry.”

“AOL has been instrumental in the growth of the online medium,” said Dave Harkness, Nielsen Media Research senior vice president for business development. “. . .We’re looking forward to working closely with AOL as they continue to develop and expand the use of online and Internet services.”