Channel | Digital

Internet search engine and ad network Google reported that first-quarter profits rose 69% over the same period last year -- a result that CEO Eric Schmidt said made the company "ecstatic."

Experian Group Ltd., the credit bureau and database marketing services firm, will acquire Web research agency Hitwise for $240 million.

Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S, publisher of Car and Driver, Road and Track and Cycle World magazines, will acquire Jumpstart Automotive Media, an online network focused on the automotive industry.

Search power Google announced last Friday that it will pay $3.1 billion in cash to acquire Web ad platform DoubleClick from private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, which bought the company almost two years ago for about one third the price and then sold off portions of it.

Observers who were hoping for good news right away from Yahoo!

A little-noticed bill passed by the Utah legislature in February will let businesses based in that state enter their trademarks into a state registry and police their use as triggers for search marketing to Utah residents.

Ashford.com, an e-commerce site that specializes in luxury items, including jewelry and watches, has been acquired by Luxi Group. Terms were not disclosed.

Americans conducted 7.3 billion search engine queries in March, up 6% from February and 14% from March 2006. Google again accounted for nearly half of all searches in March

InfoSearch Media has introduced expanded search engine optimization (SEO) services for search-targeted text and video content. It has created a dedicated team to handle SEO consulting and implementation services.

Search power Google announced late Friday that it will pay $3.1 billion in cash to acquire Web ad platform DoubleClick from private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, which bought the company almost two years ago.