Google Brings Online Advertising Expertise To Australia and New Zealand

Key Australian Properties f2 Network and News Interactive Join Google’s Fast-Growing Advertising Partnership Network

SYDNEY, Australia – March 25, 2003 – Google, developer of the award-winning Google™ search engine, today announced that it opened an office here to bring its performance-based online advertising programs to advertisers and agencies in Australia and New Zealand.

Google also announced partnerships with Fairfax’s f2 Network and News Interactive. Google will provide these leading Internet properties with web search services in addition to sponsored links provided through the Google AdWords™ advertising program. These targeted advertising links will enhance the search experience for users of these properties, while generating significant online advertising revenues for both Google and each of the partners.

"Through our technical expertise in search, Google develops services that bring significant value our advertisers and partners, while enhancing the search experience for our users," said Omid Kordestani, senior vice president of worldwide sales and field operations at Google. "With our fast growing advertising network in Australia, advertisers will reach nearly half of the Australian Internet population with relevant information."

Google’s online advertising program – comprising more than 100,000 advertisers worldwide – is the largest and fastest growing in the industry. This expansion into the Australian and New Zealand markets represents Google’s continued commitment to providing the best search experience for users, and a high return on investment to advertisers and partners around the world. With the opening of its newest global operation, Google will continue to grow this successful advertising business in a region where the paid search market is expected to grow 86 percent annually over the next three years (Jupiter Research, October 2002).

Google’s approach to advertising stays true to the company’s philosophy that relevance matters most to users. Google’s innovative advertising technology gauges user response in the form of click-through rates to determine the order in which ads are shown. Users see the most relevant advertising first and advertisers are rewarded with average click-through rates at least five times higher than the industry average for traditional banner ads.

About Google

Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program, which is the largest and fastest growing in the industry, provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.au.

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Google Partner Quotes f2 Network is the interactive subsidiary of John Fairfax Holdings Limited and is Australia’s leading publisher of online news, finance and classifieds. It is comprised of trusted online brands, such as smh.com.au, theage.com.au, afr.com.au, brw.com.au, drive.com.au, domain.com.au and mycareer.com.au, which attract an audience second to none in the AB demographic. "f2’s deal with Google brings together a unique combination of the most trusted internet brands and the best online audience in Australia," said Nick Leeder, Chief Operating Officer, f2 Network. "As Australia’s online news leader, f2 attracts more than half of the Internet population in Australia. Now they can easily search our news, finance and classified sites as well as the rest of the web using a trusted and powerful search engine." News Interactive is Australia’s fastest growing and third largest online publisher, and is the new media division of News Limited, Australia’s largest media company. Reaching more than 40 percent of the Australian internet population, News Interactive provides advertisers with opportunities to promote their brands, products and services across some of the country’s leading websites: NEWS.com.au, CareerOne.com.au, AustralianIT.com.au and FOXSPORTS.com.au, and a wide range of News Ltd. newspaper websites. "Our new partnership with Google has two benefits for our readers – they can use Google’s powerful search engine to quickly and easily search within our network, tapping into the vast resources of News Ltd.’s diverse content, including online news and information, newspapers, photos, archives and classifieds, and they can also search the web globally from within our network," said Mark Webster, Managing Director, News Interactive.

Google is a trademark of Google Technology Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

For further information:

Debbie Frost
Google
+1 415 994 6453
dfrost@google.com

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