Have you noticed that the first matches to your search terms are often the same websites, regardless of the search engine you use? For example, if you type the term "George Bush" the top matches will likely include links to eBay and Amazon.com.

Web advertising and commerce are all about "capturing eyeballs", and we're used to overt practices like flashy banner ads and pop-ups. You may not know, however, that most web search engines are being bribed in a subtler attempt to influence your clicks and choices.

Ebay and Amazon.com offer 11 cents and 10 cents, respectively, for each click-through a search engine delivers. AltaVista, Inktomi and Lycos are all charging fees in return for inclusion and favorable treatment in their web indexes. Microsoft Network, Yahoo, AOL, and Lycos do not operate their own search engines, but rather employ other firms to deliver both their unpaid search results and sponsored links. Overture Services Inc. is the company that is being used by all four to have used paid search listings.

Among the top search engines, only Google has vowed not to collect fees from companies to guarantee them inclusion in search results.

Let's hope that in the long run relevant results and honest indexing will prevail, rather than having the highest bidder for your eyeballs win out.