CBS Mobile integrates site search with Medio functionality

By Giselle Abramovich

October 30, 2007

CBS is using Medio-powered mobile search

CBS Mobile is adding search capabilities and search-enabled advertising options to its mobile news Web sites using technology from mobile search advertising service provider Medio Systems.

Medio, Seattle, will offer its free Medio Mobile Search for Publishers service to broadcaster CBS’ Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) sites. In return, the sites will become part of the Medio MobileNow Ad-Network.

“Medio's strategy here is really about connecting mobile users with information they are looking for, no matter where they happen to be – whether on a carrier's deck or on any mobile site,” said John Kim, vice president of product management at Medio.

“With our experience in providing white-labeled search solutions to tier-one operators like Verizon and T-Mobile, our focus as a company is to deliver an intuitive search experience that is built specifically for mobile users on-the-go,” he said.

Under the agreement WAP publishers such as CBS Mobile will be able to offer mobile users a more refined search comprised of relevant information, links for additional data and ads.

In addition, Medio will provide CBS Mobile users the ability to search and navigate content on CBS Sports Mobile (wap.cbssports.com), CBS Mobile News (wap.cbsnews.com) and CW Mobile (wap.cwtv.com).

“Our recent launch with CBS means that mobile users can find the content they are looking for within mobile sites like CBS Sports and CBS News,” Mr. Kim said. “By making this an easy and successful experience, we believe it will encourage an already growing trend in mobile media consumption.”

Medio Mobile Search for Publishers is an advertising-supported search solution that was built to optimize the mobile experience.

Medio Mobile Search is implemented on CBS Mobile sites using a simple search box. The search results will then pull relevant information from CBS’ site content and from the entire mobile Web. Targeted ads will appear next to the search results. They will be based on the user’s search query.

CBS Mobile will monetize from clicks on ads surrounding CBS content. Additionally, content from CBS Mobile will be added to the Medio Mobile Web index, which includes material from all of Medio’s partner sites.

For publishers today, it is hard to optimize online content for the mobile phone, Mr. Kim said. Screen size limits them from giving their users easy navigational paths to what they're looking for.

“Search then becomes the gateway to mobile content,” Mr. Kim said. “At the same time, it provides a way for publishers to increase revenue via a search advertising channel by serving relevant advertising that is not obtrusive to their readers.

“For marketers, it means a simplified buying process for mobile search advertising,” he said. “By buying media across the Medio Mobile Now Search Ad-Network, advertisers can reach their audience no matter where they are searching and drive the mobile user to their action of choice: whether it is to arrive at a mobile landing page, to generate an inquiry to a call center, or to extract data on the user for lead generation.”