AdSense Video Units? What’s Wrong (or Right) with This Picture? | Google Tuesdays
Hey, You're New Here! We love new people.
Please do us the honor of returning. You can subscribe by RSS feed, or get updates by email. We also welcome your feedback on the posted information. When filling out the form, don't forget to leave your link and your first name.
(If you’re an AdSense Publisher, this video will show you how to get started.)
On Monday, Google announced on the Inside AdSense blog and later on the official blog, the debut of AdSense Video Units.
The last time I heard the words “AdSense” and “Video” together, I was excited then because I thought that they were saying that they had enough inventory, as well as the technology, to splice AdSense Video Ads into videos, I assumed through YouTube somehow.
I’ve soon learned to keep my premature AdSense Video in Video Content fantasies to myself. Why should I dream of things that make sense?
My fantasy is, of course, that I could provide all my premium tutorial and/or entertainment content for free through ad-sponsored video, after developing a wide enough video audience to boast a targeted audience of tens of thousands. Kind of like my own mini-TBS. And this may be a step in the right direction. (I’ll tell you why I say “may” momentarily.)
The announcement as phrased makes it seem like it’s going in that direction at least.
Video units enable AdSense publishers to display videos from several YouTube content partners. The video units are ad-supported, and the ads are relevant to both the video and the site content, as well as unobtrusive. AdSense publishers and YouTube content partners will receive a share of the ad revenue, so video units enable both groups to earn incremental revenue.
This is potentially quite empowering to AdSense publishers and YouTube publishers alike, as far as the possible revenue. In fact, the thing that bothers me about this isn’t the fact that there’s possible ad relevancy issues. When I watch Boston Legal, stuff pops up that isn’t exactly relevant to the content of a comedy-drama about a bunch of emotionally challenged, lovable lawyers. No system is perfect. I’d be more inclined to target demographics than content when it comes to video.
The thing that worries me is that, while splicing some type of advertising into YouTube videos is a step to actually being able to match video ads with video content, something about the way this stepping stone is being implemented feels like a step in the wrong direction.
It first crossed my eyes when I looked at the story as reported on CNET. I saw the screenshot of the setup and said to myself … “Ermph”.
Not ugly, but not really appealing either. And the banner ad seemed so… 1998.
I’m not being a Google basher - and I think hateration (I can’t believe I just used that word) for the sake of being a hater is counter-productive. For sure, I’m going to put this to the test and report back to you.
Still, this just feels a bit off to me. I can’t quit put my finger on it, but it feels incongruent.
You can get some links to other naysaying on AdSense - Video Unit mixing from the mathewingram.com/work blog if you’d like to read more perspectives.
And video publishers will also want to hear Jim Kukral’s take on what an opportunity AdSense Video Units can shape up to be for video publishers, which is very close to my vision, only, of course, you have to be one of the selected partners first.
But let’s also not forget that the syndicated content provider isn’t the only one who benefits here. Publishers have a share in that revenue. Game on, as Jim says.
Indeed. I have about six sites to put back into testing mode based on this.
Here are some more links to stories about this:
Search Engine Watch Puts It Simply
SearchEngineLand Has a Bit more Depth and links to help pages
Wired talks more about the content provider side.
How To Get Unstoppable Traffic? Go Evergreen. Read the true story of how one of the site owners, ill and preparing to retire, created traffic so powerful that she couldn’t turn it off.
Bookmark | Save | Share | EmailComments
8 Responses to “AdSense Video Units? What’s Wrong (or Right) with This Picture? | Google Tuesdays”
Trackbacks
Leave a Reply
Don't Forget to Fill Out Your Link! We DoFollow.
Want more free tips like this? Try Updated: WordPress Blogger Discovers Problem with AdSense Video Units or Search Engine Wednesdays | AdSense video! or even Google Tuesdays : What's New in the Latest Google Algorithm Update?!
For twice monthly or weekly updates and extra traffic information, you can elect subscribe to the Zero Cost Traffic Ezine, which features Free Traffic Tips blog updates and additional web marketing related news.
Privacy Policy
Comments protected by Lucia's Linky Love.
-
Reach Me Faster on Facebook!
Translate
This is really interesting to have video adsense on video promotional sites. this is good new for webmaster who are operating video related sites.
I think it could be advantageous. But right now, it looks like they aren’t working on WordPress. I just Shpunn, Stumbled, FBed and Dugg a story about it and I hope others will pay attention. If it won’t work on Wordpress, even with plugins that make YouTube show up properly on WP, it’s a problem for a good number of us.
Just to follow-up on Tinu’s comment: I had no problem getting the adsense video units working on wordpress…using 2.2.3….
Thanks for commenting Jeff. I updated the post about that topic with that information. Are you able to post the video unit as Content - ie, within the post?
I use the video unit from adsense. However, there is a problem with it. Even after I put in keywords or phrases 95% of the videos are not related to my specific keywords or phrases. I have even put in only one You Tube title with its keywords and it was not selected. Please correct this problem because this is an awesome idea.
It’s one of many problems, I hear:
http://freetraffictip.com/wordpress-bloggers-discovers-problem-with-adsense-video-units.php
Welcome, Bob.
Que?