Google, eBay join forces

SAN FRANCISCO – In a deal between two of the Internet’s most prominent players, Google will begin selling advertising for eBay outside the United States and help buyers quickly ring an online merchant to do business.

The arrangement announced yesterday promises to introduce “click-to-call” Web-site technology to a broader audience and potentially speed its adoption as a means of more quickly connecting online consumers with advertisers. It will allow potential buyers to call eBay merchants or Google advertisers by clicking a link on a Web page.

Google Inc.’s chief executive, Eric Schmidt, would not disclose the terms of the deal or what it might mean for the Californiabased search-engine’s bottom line. EBay does not expect the partnership to affect its financial performance this year or next.

Under the partnership, Google will become the exclusive provider of text advertising on eBay outside the United States. In May, eBay announced a deal with the No. 2 Internet search engine, Yahoo Inc., to serve all its domestic advertising.