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Dictionary.Com Adds Google AdSense(TM) Site Targeting Resulting in 67 Percent Jump in RPM

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 July 2006, 06:00 CDT

LONG BEACH, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks in part to joining Google AdSense(TM), Lexico Publishing Group, LLC, better known as the publishers of Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com and Reference.com, announced today that their latest AdSense revenue per thousand impressions (RPM) has jumped by an impressive 67 percent.

By being part of the Google AdSense for Search program, Lexico is able to provide their visitors to Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com with site search as well as Google web search simultaneously, thereby earning revenue through Google ads on the search results pages. Lexico also runs Google's AdSense for Content product on their properties and recently implemented AdSense's site targeting feature, which includes image ads and expanded text ads. Since image ads and expanded text ads appear only when they beat out CPC text ads, Lexico knew that they would increase revenue each time an image ad appeared.

"Site targeting is currently accounting for nearly 30 percent of our AdSense revenue," explains Dennis Kariger, Lexico Publishing Group's Director of Sales. "It has proven to be a highly effective tool for us in attracting new advertisers to Lexico's properties without jeopardizing existing sales."

It all started in 2004 when Kariger, looking for ways to further expand revenues, signed up for Google AdSense, enabling Google to serve ads that coincide with the specific content on Lexico's sites.

One year later, Kariger added Google site targeting to the company's advertising strategy with the aim of attracting new advertisers while continuing to increase revenue. The result: both a rise in revenue, as well as an impressive increase in RPM of 67 percent.

In addition to improving Lexico's bottom line, site targeting has given Kariger control over the ads that appear. For example, he can prevent direct advertisers from displaying ads and block competitor's ads from appearing. "These controls help Lexico preserve existing advertiser relationships which for us are very important," says Jasper Chou, Lexico's Director of Marketing.

Once Kariger opened the doors to site targeting, competition for ads on Lexico properties intensified and advertisers began bidding to run site-targeted ads, increasing their average weekly revenue by nearly 80 percent, while at the same time growing the number and quality of advertisers.

No stranger to success, Lexico Publishing's Dictionary.com was named "the best general English-language dictionary online," and Thesaurus.com is the award-winning version of Roget's New Millennium(TM) Thesaurus. According to comScore Media Metrix data, Dictionary.com is currently the most-visited online dictionary and Thesaurus.com is the most-visited online thesaurus five years in a row.

About Lexico Publishing Group, LLC

Founded in 1995, Lexico Publishing Group, LLC is a leading provider of free online reference services, including Dictionary.com, called "the best general English-language dictionary online" by Web Guide magazine; the Dictionary.com Word of the Day Mailing List, a daily e-mail vocabulary lesson; Thesaurus.com, the award-winning online version of Roget's New Millennium(TM) Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases; Reference.com, an encyclopedia, almanac and general reference guide; and CleverKeys(R), free software that gives instant access to definitions and synonyms from Windows and Macintosh programs. Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com and Reference.com combined to serve more than 21 million unique visitors in March 2006. The Word of the Day Mailing List has more than 875,000 subscribers.

Lexico Publishing Group, LLC

CONTACT: Media, Lynn Hackman, +1-949-723-1352, or +1-310-968-4678,lhackman@olearypr.com, for Lexico; or Jasper Chou of Lexico, +1-562-432-4250,or +1-909-262-8196, jasper@lexico.com

Web site: http://www.dictionary.com/http://www.thesaurus.com/http://www.reference.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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