>> The
web has evolved into a complex "organism" which, to
some, appears to have a life of its own. As the Internet
has evolved, so too have online marketers and publishers.
The dot-com balloon is said to have burst but savvy
publishers have grabbed the coat tails of the Google
search monster and employ Google AdSense on content-rich
websites. Google AdSense, a pioneer for providing
content-sensitive advertisements, has been a boon to
webmasters looking for alternatives to amortize their
web trafffic.
How Does Google AdSense Work?
The concept is simple: The publisher or webmaster
inserts a java script into a website. Each time the page
is accessed, the java script pulls advertisements from
Google's AdSense program. The ads are targeted and
related to the content contained on the web page serving
the ad. If a web surfer clicks on an advertisement
served from Google, the webmaster serving the ad earns a
portion of the money that the advertiser is paying
Google for the click.
Google handles all the tracking and payments, ultimately
providing an easy way for webmasters to display
content-sensitive, targeted ads, without the headache of
having to solicit advertisers, collect funds, monitor
clicks or track statistics, any of which could easily
become a full-time job.
While Google AdSense, like many pay-per-click programs,
is plagued by claims of click-fraud, it is clearly an
effective revenue source for many reputable web
businesses. There seems to be no shortage of advertisers
in the AdWords program from which Google pulls the
AdSense ads. Webmasters seem less concerned by the lack
of information provided by Google and more interested in
cashing their monthly checks from Google.
The Evolution of AdSense
While Google's initial system was fairly rudimentary,
only providing publishers the option of displaying a
handful of advertising formats, the technology behind
even the first ads was anything but simplistic. The
technology used to employ Google AdSense goes far beyond
simple keyword or category matching. A complex algorithm
is used to determine the content contained on the web
page serving the ad. Once the content is assessed, and
appropriate ads that contain related content are served.
Early on, Google implemented a system that allows
publishers to filter advertisements from competitors or
sites which they deemed inappropriate. Google also
allows vendors to specify an alternative advertisement,
in the unlikely event that Google is unable to provide
related content ads.
The Progression of Google
Google has come a long way in understanding the needs of
publishers and webmasters. Google now offers a system
that allows full ad customization. Webmasters can choose
from twelve text ad formats and can customize Google
advertisements to complement their website and fit into
existing webpage layout. The options provided allow
webmasters to select and create custom color palettes
that match an existing website's color scheme, making
the ads a much more natural fit.
Many sites have been able to integrate ads into their
site design using different ad formats.
Sample sites with integrated ads:
Investing Partners - http://www.investing-partners.com
Podcasting Tools - http://www.podcasting-tools.com .
RSS Network - http://www.rss-network.com
Online Reports
Google recently took a huge step forward, providing
publishers the ability to track their earnings based on
webmaster-defined channels. Recent improvements to the
Google AdSense reporting have resulted in webmasters
having the capability to monitor an ad's performance
with customizable online reports that can detail page
impressions, clicks and click-through rates. Webmasters
now have the ability to track specific ad formats,
colors and pages within a website. Webmasters can
quickly spot and track trends. The new flexible
reporting tools allows webmasters to group web pages by
URL, domain, ad type or category, providing webmasters
insight into what pages, ads and domains are performing
the best.
Reporting is real-time, allowing webmasters to quickly
assess the effectiveness of any changes. The new
reporting makes it significantly easier for webmasters
to optimize and increase click-through rates. Optional
reporting allows webmasters to monitor traffic, viewing
both ad impressions and page impressions.
Advertisers realize the benefits associated with having
their ads served on targeted websites, increasing the
likelihood that a prospective web surfer will have an
interest in their product or service.
Truth Still Not Revealed
Google still does not reveal what percentage of the
advertising revenue earned is paid to the webmaster
serving the ads, but they have made strides related to
disclosure, recently lifting the ban preventing
webmasters from disclosing the amount they earn through
serving Google ads. << |
