 The first physical showing of Google’s experiment was seen in the US where the search engine has tested the waters with text and image based adverts from PPC account holders on the image search results pages. A second initiative is also underway but has taken place outside of Google’s own results pages. Rather, the search giant has begun trialling video adverts within its YouTube site. The sponsored videos match advert to content, allowing advertisers to capture viewers attention during video streaming. In a bid to expand the reach of AdWords placements, Google Finance has been drafted into the network with a select batch of display ads currently running on the property. Pay per click text ads will also be run at the side of news items as part of the monetization intiative. Google’s large portfolio of search properties is popular with users so their reactions to the newly displayed advertising messages will determine whether or not they become a permanent feature. One yardstick sure to be held up is whether or not the PPC ads in these new locations remain true to the Google principle of relevance. As with most experiments, the trials have begun in the USA but are expected to be rolled out across other regions if they prove successful. |    |
