但Overture改变了上述看法。通过点击付费关键词搜索服务，Overture打开了网络搜索企业赢得利润的潘朵拉盒子。Overture的做法是有道理的，广告商想得到用户的注意就需要花钱购买搜索结果上刊登关联广告的位置，位置越显眼广告费自然越高。
拉什奇估计，搜索行业的营收将在2007年前增加到将近70亿美元，每年的增幅高达35%。这些数据自然引起了很多人的关注。2003年，以往一直把搜索业务外包给Google的雅虎重新意识到搜索业务的重要性，其用16.3亿美元收购了Overture。上个月，雅虎放弃了Google，现在完全依赖Overture，从而正式向Google开战。
考虑到其他网络搜索引擎也在积极致力于自身发展，Google正在全力迎接挑战，据传其可能几天之后就会宣布上市计划。一直以来总是对其财务状况三缄其口的Google可能最终将公开自己的真实实力。
Overture changed all that. By selling the rights to keywords of a Web search on a cost-per-click basis, the company opened a Pandora's box of profit. The idea made sense: If you're in the market for a tennis racket and type "tennis racket" on a Web search to compare products, a list of vendors accompanying your search results would probably be welcome. Those vendors would want your attention, and would compete with each other economically to get it. The more lucrative the terms, the more expensive to get top billing on a results page.
By building a better search engine, you attract a bigger audience, and thus increase the rates you can charge. Google soon joined Overture.
Rashtchy estimated that the search industry will reach nearly $7 billion in revenue by 2007, growing at a compounded rate of 35% each year. Those kinds of numbers attract a lot of attention. In 2003, Yahoo!, which was outsourcing its search to Google, wanted in on the action and paid $1.63 billion to buy Overture. Last month Yahoo! dumped Google and now exclusively uses Overture, officially declaring war. Sleeping giant Microsoft , meanwhile, was rumored to have made an unsuccessful stab at acquiring Google, and is now using its nearly infinite resources to improve it own search engine.
Google is also taking on Yahoo! and Microsoft in the Web mail business. Earlier this month it announced its GMail service, which will include one full gigabyte of mail storage for free
There's also pressure from below. Shares of Montreal-based search engine Mamma.com skyrocketed on March 16 after it was discovered that Internet billionaire Mark Cuban bought a 6.3% stake in the company. And let's not forget Ask Jeeves , which has seen shares go from penny stock status to about $41 today.
To beat back pretenders to the search throne, Google is reportedly days away from announcing plans for an initial public offering. The company, which has jealously guarded any details involving its finances, will finally have to reveal how large--or small--it is. Speculation about its numbers varies wildly. We estimate a market capitalization of $20 billion.
A previous version of this story estimated Google's market capitalization at $3 billion.