Google to reinvent UK newspaper biz | The Register

Google is bringing its new-age advertising know-how to the UK newspaper business.

According to The Times, the world's largest search engine is chatting up "several" British newspaper publishers in the hopes of extending its Google Print Ads program across the Atlantic.

When we asked Google if this is true, the company told us "we won't be able to comment on if or when Print Ads will be launched in the UK." But they like being coy.

Launched stateside this summer, Print Ads is an outgrowth of the company's online advertising juggernaut, Google AdWords. With Print Ads, AdWords customers can bid for newspaper ad space much as they'd bid for keyword ads that turn up on Google's ridiculously-popular web search engine. But in this case, Brin, Page, and Co. are not running an auction. Once a bid is made, participating newspapers have free rein to accept it, make a counter offer, or reject it entirely.

Naturally, Google takes a cut of each ad dollar. And if advertisers are unwilling to design their own newspaper ads, Google will gladly take some extra dough to provide a helping hand.