Fun with SEO and advertising

[protomech]

I noticed an interesting ad while searching wired - search for "brammo" or "brammo empulse".

"Ads by Google .. Zero Motorcycles-Zero S www.zeromotorcycles.com/ Fully Electric Street Motorcycle Fastest-Lightest-Quietest-Cool"

That's .. not a Brammo Empulse.

Oddly, a search in google itself reveals NO ads on the top / right for those two searches. Most other searches on google have ads associated with them. Try a Bing search, or yahoo.

There's nothing illegal here. Judges in both the US and Europe have ruled that buying up search terms using a competitors trademarked name is legal. Whoever is responsible - whether Zero or a third party advertising contractor - is playing hardball though.

[Phantom]

I have noticed that for a while. I have done the reverse and Brammo has not paid for that kind advertising when you search for Zero.

It may not be illegal, but it seems like a shady business choice.