• Editor & Publisher, Monday, April 17, 2006 11:15 AM

A small newspaper in Kentucky has figured out a way to use Google, the ubiquitous search engine, to help sell classified advertising. Mark Van Patten, the general manager of the Bowling Green Daily News, came up with the idea when he began reading about mashups, Google Earth's ability to be mashed up, as it were, with other data so that site-specific information can be precisely overlayed on a local map. The Daily News now offers customers who place yard-sale classifieds an opportunity to have their ads attached to a mashup on the paper's Web site.  All the customer needs to do is agree to run the ad a minimum of two days. If he does, the mashup feature is free. Hardly anyone rejects the offer, says Van Patten. It's a great deal all around. The Daily News is selling more classifieds, and customers are getting an online ad that shows exactly--with satellite imagery--where their sale will occur.

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