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Clear Channel is employing its own form of paid search advertising to meet the needs of small advertisers, reports Advertising Age.

The radio giant has begun selling keywords to local businesses at the same time as they buy on-air spots. The ads, which are video spots, appear when a search is run on the radio station's Web site.

The program runs at about US$ 120 for an entire year, but has grown to be a hit with advertisers. Many buyers aren't concerned, Clear Channel says, with hard and fast metrics. The company notes that users thus far have been happy with the effect on sales.