Google Expands Beta for Pay per Action Ads - PPA for Publishers
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So what does PPA offer publishers? They can decide which ads display on their site, or let Google determine that for them. They can tell Google to run ads that are related to a particular topic. Publishers can look for ads to run on their site either by putting in key words, browsing by product category, or hunting through the entire inventory of available ads.
Of course you no longer get paid when a visitor clicks on the ad; they have to click on the ad AND perform a particular action. That can be a little nerve-wracking for publishers; it means your ad income is more dependent on a site that is not under your control. Publishers participating in this program receive email reports of conversions accrued and total revenue. (Advertisers also receive somewhat more detailed reports on how their ads are doing).
On the other hand, if you do manage to pull off a conversion, the payoff is bigger. Advertisers are willing to pay more for completed actions than for mere clicks. The big question for publishers is do you really want to participate in an affiliate network?
That’s pretty much what the new program is, when you get right down to it. Some have even labeled the pay per action program Google’s “ValueClick killer.” And many sites don’t do very well as affiliates.
There’s no requirement to sign up for the new program, of course. Google notes that those participating will be part of a separate network, though some of the literature I’ve read about it implies that publishers would be permitted to run both PPC and PPA ads on the same web site – and possibly even on the same page. It means more options, and a lot more to think about, for both advertisers and publishers.
Next: Some Implications of Google's New Program >>
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