If you searched on the keyword oil spill (937M+ results) on Google you will discover that BP is bidding on the keyword to hit the top spot. Their ad tells the curious that the link will provide information on the spill and BPs effort in helping. BP did not stop at this one keyword but extended it right into the realm of the long tail with keyword like deepwater horizon explosion causes (down to 2M+ search results). The company extended its paid search to News (ok), Books (?), Shopping (??), Discussions (not bad) and if you are in map section searching for deepwater horizon oil spill you will find the BP ad pointing you in the right (?) direction!
Why is EzLocalJobFind.com paying for the keyword - oil spill on Yahoo??
BTW the keyword oil spill lawsuits brought up 16M hits on Google with Beasley Allen as the sole advertiser (they claim on their website -www.oil-spill.com to have filed a class action lawsuit on the oil spill).
Clearly BP is rushing to Google paid search as better alternative to its own PR in a desperate attempt at opinion damage control. Having failed in the social media (read BPGlobalPR on Twitter that gained 146,000 followers in 4-5 weeks; BP Corporate Twitter feed has 13,000 only)
Not for the first time
Companies have turned to Search Engine Marketing for purposes other than pure marketing in the past also. November last year Google put out a paid ad on the keyword Michelle Obama on image search, offering their apology over offensive search results.