BP Buys Ads Based On 'Oil' Searches

slfisher 1 569 Views

Go Google the term "oil spill." I'll wait.

First item? "BP Info about the Gulf of Mexico Spill Learn More about How BP is Helping."

It's a "sponsored link," meaning that BP paid for it to be there and to come up as the first item when someone searched for the term.

It was first spotted by ABC News, which did a report on it Saturday, including an admission by BP that it had done so.

"We have bought search terms on search engines like Google to make it easier for people to find out more about our efforts in the Gulf and make it easier for people to find key links to information on filing claims, reporting oil on the beach and signing up to volunteer," BP spokesman Toby Odone told ABC News.

The notion isn't new; political campaigns such as John McCain's made an art out of buying sponsored links on Google (though some were more successful than others).

But the ABC News piece quoted expert Kevin Ryan saying that typical users don't see the difference between a legitimate search result and a sponsored one, and cited BP's move -- which he said was the first time it had been done in such a situation -- as an example of how the company is trying to spin the situation.

Another expert in the ABC News story estimated that BP was spending $10,000 per day on the Google campaign.

Dani AI

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This thread highlights a core tension in search marketing: buying visibility for crisis-related queries can be legitimate and useful, but it also looks like spin if it isnt handled transparently. raised the discoverability angle and raised the reputational one; both are valid and point to how campaign design determines whether the tactic helps or hurts.

Keep one rule front and center: ads around emergencies should solve a user problem first. That means ad copy, sitelinks and the landing page must deliver immediate, clearly labeled help (how to report damage, file a claim, get volunteer info, etc.). Avoid promotional language that reads like PR; instead lead with the organization name and the specific action a visitor can take. Ensure landing pages load fast, show contact/claim options above the fold, and mirror the ad promise so users arent surprised.

Practical checklist to run a defensible crisis PPC campaign:

  1. Create dedicated, plainly labeled landing pages for claims, reporting and volunteering.
  2. Put the organization name and the action in the ad headline/text.
  3. Use sitelinks/extensions to surface subpages (claims, press, volunteer).
  4. Geo-target and schedule ads to affected areas/hours to limit perceived opportunism.
  5. Apply negative keywords to avoid tone-deaf or irrelevant matches.
  6. Track conversions (form submits, phone calls) and feed results to PR/legal teams.
  7. Coordinate messaging across paid, organic and social channels so results align.

A final note: paid search wont fix an operational or safety failure, but it can reduce friction for people who need help. If the primary intent is to inform and assist, the tactic is defensible; if the intent is mainly reputation shaping, be prepared for scrutiny. Transparency, user-first copy, fast helpful landing pages and coordination with response teams reduce backlash.

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InsightsDigital 57 Posting Virtuoso

BP is just trying to save face and most important, retain the value of its company in this dire situation. It has been over a month and improvements have not been evident. The worst is that the environment of not-so near states have not been affected. BP is leveraging any means possible to demonstrate dominance in spinning their information. But the facts are the facts. BP was cheap/negligent to maintain the pipes and now, look what happened. Online Paid Campaign can not put a plug in this situation.

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