Google this!

It was inevitable really. AAPT is contemplating suing Telstra over its 'sponsoring' of its own link when someone searches for AAPT. Of course, if you try googling 'aapt' now all you get as a sponsored link is AAPT. Nonetheless, apparently until recently you would get Telstra there too.

This is not an uncommon practice:

• Google 'nab' and you get American Express
• Google 'Melbourne Business School' and you get the AGSM
• Google 'RACV' and you get AAMI (among others)
  
• Google 'HBA' and you get Australian Unity (among others)
• Google 'harvey world travel' and you get STA Travel (among others)

Now I am not sure on the law on all of this but there is a sense in which it is not altogether a bad thing. Try and search for a firm and you may get its competitors. In fact, it is surprising we don't see more. For instance, google 'qantas' and all there is an Appliance Repair Service which has nothing to do with travel. One wonders why.

Anyhow all of these sponsored links are allocated by auction anyway. To get priority you need to bid more and also have a decent 'click through rate.' So they will only stay there if they are working. So go ahead, and click on that AGSM link.