• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Apple pays Google for Windows 7 hits

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 2, 2009, 6:10 AM ET

Cheeky Get-a-Mac ads are not the only way Steve Jobs is going after Microsoft



Image: Google

If you ran a Google search for “download windows 7” early Monday, you got about 137 million results — plus something you probably weren’t looking for. There, at or near the very top, was a sponsored link suggesting “There’s never been a better time to switch to a Mac.”

A four-line ad was spotted over the weekend by the Next Web‘s Alex Wilhelm, who suspected that Apple (AAPL) was paying exorbitant prices for the space.

In fact, this form of guerrilla marketing is surprisingly inexpensive. The cost per click for either “windows 7 download” or “download windows 7,” according to Google’s (GOOG) Keyword Tool, is 5 cents.

[UPDATE: The Apple-sponsored link disappeared mid-morning Monday, but it was back early Tuesday.]

See also:

  • Apple’s 2009 ad budget: Half a billion

[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

A pile of gold coins and gold bars.
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of December 10, 2025
By Danny BakstDecember 10, 2025
15 minutes ago
housing affordability
Real EstateHousing
America’s mobile housing affordability crisis reveals a system where income determines exposure to climate disasters
By Ivis Garcia and The ConversationDecember 10, 2025
35 minutes ago
Zohran
PoliticsElections
Political communication scholar on how Zohran Mamdani hacked ‘slacktivism’ to appear on your phone, on your street and in your mind
By Stuart Soroka and The ConversationDecember 10, 2025
35 minutes ago
student
CommentaryEducation
International students skipped campus this fall — and local economies lost $1 billion because of it
By Bjorn MarkesonDecember 10, 2025
40 minutes ago
Goldman Sachs' logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an AI chip and symbol in the background.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Goldman Sachs CFO on the company’s AI reboot, talent, and growth
By Sheryl EstradaDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, December 10, 2025
By Joseph HostetlerDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
When David Ellison was 13, his billionaire father Larry bought him a plane. He competed in air shows before leaving it to become a Hollywood executive
By Dave SmithDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Even the man behind ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is worried about the ‘rate of change that’s happening in the world right now’ thanks to AI
By Preston ForeDecember 9, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The 'forever layoffs' era hits a recession trigger as corporates sack 1.1 million workers through November
By Nick Lichtenberg and Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
24 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.