Hearst-Argyle Television to Rep Google AdWords

In a bid to capture a piece of the booming local search ad market, Hearst-Argyle Television announced Wednesday a strategic agreement with Google, becoming the first broadcast reseller of Google AdWords. Under the agreement, Hearst-Argyle, which has 29 TV stations in 26 markets, will leverage its existing relationships with local advertisers to sell Google AdWords. Google and Hearst-Argyle will share in the revenue. Local paid search is fertile ground for growth. More than 22 percent of all local online advertising, revenue from local search is expected to double next year to $1.8 billion, according to Borrell Association. By partnering with Google, which gets the largest share of local searches at 30 percent, according to comScore Networks, Hearst-Argyle gets access to a growing revenue source. “This entry point to the local search market complements our existing digital media efforts which include local content, social networking, and being a primary destination in all our markets on ‘all three screens,’” said Terry Mackin, executive vp of Hearst-Argyle Television. For Google, the company gets a ready-made sales force in 26 markets, including some of the nation’s largest such as Boston, Sacramento, Orlando and Baltimore.
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