By Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk, 19 May 2009, 08:30am

Conservative Party buys Google search terms around MP expenses scandal

LONDON - The Conservative Party is trying to gain the upper hand in the MPs' expenses row by buying up words on Google related to the scandal.

David Cameron

The acquisitions follow a series of revelations by The Daily Telegraph detailing MPs' claims, which have generated widespread public anger.

The party has bought the phrase 'mps expenses'. Those entering this phrase or similar search terms into Google will be offered a sponsored link to David Cameron's Webcameron channel on YouTube. Here they can watch a video in which the Tory leader explains the expenses rules he has put in place for MPs from his party.

Jeremy Hunt, the Conservative Party's spokesman for online campaigning, said: `It is important for us to lead on the issue of MPs' expenses and reassure the public, who are rightly angry about everything that's happened, that we are taking immediate action to clamp down on abuses of the system.

'Our Google pay-per-click campaign directs everyone searching for key words and phrases on the issue to a Webcameron video where David explains exactly the measures he is taking to sort the system out,' added Hunt.

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All Comments

Ed Lamb - 19 May 2009

Seems like common sense given that Cameron is trying to position himself as the one who has taken swift action.

Not sure why The Daily Telegraph aren't already there....that was a missed opportunity.

Amanda Davie - 19 May 2009

Finally! Our noble leaders are getting the hang of this digital marketing lark! Using PPC as a crisis management communication tool is a good start.

But our political parties are sadly still a long way off in demonstrating the digital media acument demonstrated by the Republican and the Democrat parties and candidates in the last US election. And the treatment will need to be different for our General Election anyway. I can't see Twitter working the same way for Gordon or David as it did for Barack, somehow.

video poet - 19 May 2009

What about "MP's exPONSES" ?

viewsagent.com

mjam - 19 May 2009

Given the amount of money the Telegraph probably paid for this I have to agree with Ed. They're not even doing well in organic search results vs Times and Guardian! Some work to be done by their digital team!