Recently, upon entering text for a search then selecting an appropriate result, i"m (my computer) is often REDIRECTED to another site (different link). The site usually features several more links from which to choose or a site simply LITTERED with ADS!

Often, it takes several clicks to go BACK and try the same link again. This time, I'm usually taken to the more correct site.

My AV is updated and there is no evidence of Malware in my computer of any kind.

Have advertisers resorted to misdirecting users' attempts by sending them through a series of sites and sub-sites?

Has anyone else experienced this sort of anomaly? This is frustrating to say the least!! Suggestions appreciated!

I remember something like that from a year or so ago, it turned out then that the default search engine had been change to what looked like a fake google, the search engine URL was something very similar to that of real google and if you didn't spend a while to have a very close look at it you might not have noticed.

I also believe some browser tool bars can do the same type of thing too. 

Which is the biggest reason why I don't have ANY toolbars installed. I don't even like to have Google's search bar up there (though that's more of a redundancy/space issue, since Google is my home page)

Art, I had a virus that did that one about a year ago, I uninstalled Firefox and reinstalled but even that did not work. I believe it came from a free program that I downloaded that forces you to install other crapware. even after un-install of the free program and it's crapware Firefox was playing dirty. I had to do a System Restore just to fix Firefox.

Speaking of Firefox, My boys gave mine a virus yesterday on my laptop, while playing games.
Symptoms
1) every time I goto a new website window avast stopped a hazardous action.
2) every time I goto a new website anywhere from 2 - 20 new windows open.

note: Symptoms only happens with Firefox, not IE or Opera.

Edit: had to fix with Firefox re-install, all is well now