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Advertising - Monday, December 4, 2006

Net Marketing Dealing - SF's Clickshift, Sausalito's Newgate and Watertown's Buyerzone Find Buyers

Web analytics' WebTrends has acquired online ad optimization provider ClickShift for an un-disclosed amount. ClickShift sells marketing optimization tools for multivariate testing of CPC campaigns. It automates testing of keyword, creative, landing page, and search ad network to find the most effective combinations, and reallocate the appropriate budget to that campaign. Clickshift was founded by a couple guys who co-founded contextual ad player Flyswat which was acquired NBCi.

Additionally, Arizona-based Search Engine Marketing agency iCrossing bought Newgate Internet, a paid search, reputation management, and word-of-mouth agency. Newgate boasts of ties to Williams-Sonoma, The Gap and Lego. iCrossing raised $15M in a series D and was founded in the year 1998. An insider tells us "Took a while, but I think it is a good exit for the owner and probably a good add for iCrossing. I really think that the seo business is going to get squeezed so picking up a ppc shop is a good way to diversify for them."

Meanwhile, over in Manhatten, BuyerZone was bought by Reed Business Info. Watertown, MA-based BuyerZone.com is an online lead generation company that sells lead to suppliers in about 125 categories. BuyerZone's investors were include Bessemer Venture Partners, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, BancBoston Ventures, Flagship Ventures and Women's Capital Growth Fund.