eBay’s Keyword Ad System Lets Bloggers Cash In

eBay, the online auction powerhouse, has launched its AdContext system, which enables websites to stir up additional cash flow by linking to eBay auctions that are related to keywords on their pages, Forbes reports.

The news should be sweet music to the ears of bloggers looking to make a living out of their Web scribbles, as it will likely make the fantasy a reality for many.

Web surfers will have the option of clicking on links to eBay auctions that are related to the content on the webpages or blogs they visit, and site operators will take a cut of the profits made from any auction sales, according to Forbes. For example, a blog site that covers Apple Computer and the company’s latest releases may have links to iPod or MacBook auctions, and if a purchase is made by a person who found the auction via a blog, the site operator will take a percentage of the sale.

eBay’s chief strategy officer, Michael van Swaaij, told a conference of software developers in Las Vegas, “We want to increase the number of times buyers come to particular sites,” according to Forbes.

The move is eBay’s latest in an effort to expand its online marketplace business to various corners of the Web by enticing developers to build its functions into their sites, Forbes reports.

The AdContext system is modeled after similar systems offered by Google and Yahoo, according to Forbes.

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