By S. Housley
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.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll software for creating, editing,
publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage
a wireless text messaging software company.
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