America Online 2011 Annual Report Download - page 8

Table of Contents
our offerings to our consumer audience on multiple platforms and digital devices. HPMG offerings include original content produced through our large
network of content creators, which includes professional journalists from new and traditional media, freelance writers and bloggers, content we license from
third parties and aggregations of user-generated content. Our content offerings are made available to broad audiences through sites such as The Huffington
Post, as well as to niche audiences on highly-targeted, branded properties, such as The Huffington Post Women, The Huffington Post Parents and The
Huffington Post Black Voices. Additionally, we seek to enter joint ventures and strategic partnerships with third parties with established brands in an effort to
expand our content offerings. To facilitate the intake, creation, management and publication of original content, we utilize publishing platforms and content
management systems that are designed to scale in a cost-effective manner in order to produce a large variety of relevant content for consumers.
We believe that our acquisition of The Huffington Post will solidify our strategy of creating a global content network while providing our consumers
with an array of news, analysis, commentary, entertainment and community engagement. In 2011, we began expansion of The Huffington Post internationally
and we aim to continue to expand The Huffington Post in order to provide relevant content and offerings to a wide array of consumers in new markets.
Search and Contextual
We offer AOL Search on AOL Properties. We provide our consumers with a general, internet-based search experience that utilizes the organic web
search results of Google, Inc. ("Google") and additional links on the search results page that showcase contextually relevant AOL and third-party content and
information, as well as provide a variety of search-related features (such as suggesting related searches to help users further refine their search queries). We
also provide our consumers with relevant paid text-based search advertising through our relationship with Google, in which we provide consumers sponsored
link ads in response to their search queries. In addition, we offer vertical search services (i.e., search within a specific content category) and mobile search
services on AOL Properties.
We also offer contextually relevant advertising from both Google and AOL's proprietary products. These advertisements are placed on sites targeted by
advertisers based on the content of the websites. In the second quarter of 2011, we launched a new search user interface and incorporated new web search
features and advertisement formats that enhanced search results and streamlined the user experience.
Local and Mapping
We seek to be a leading provider of local content, platforms and services covering geographic levels ranging from neighborhoods to major metropolitan
areas. We have developed and acquired platforms that are designed to facilitate the production, aggregation, distribution and consumption of local content.
This local content includes professional editorial content, user-generated content and business listings. Our goal is to provide a compelling, accessible and
comprehensive local experience on the internet.
Our local offerings include the following:
• Patch, which is a community-specific news and information platform dedicated to providing comprehensive and trusted local coverage for
individual towns and communities; and
• MapQuest, which is a leading online mapping and directions service.
During 2011, we introduced blogging and aggregation platforms on Patch as a means of increasing and improving content production and amassing
relevant local stories for its users. In addition, Patch integrated "Project Devil" on its sites as a means of enhancing the consumer experience. During the third
quarter of 2011,
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