AdSense Makes Total Sense

Had Google's latest creation, AdSense followed on the heels of Amazon's introduction of the affiliate model, sites like LinkShare and Commission Junction might never have developed as they have. That's because AdSense appears to fill the promise that marketers obsessed with relevance have envisioned from the affiliate model from the beginning.

In 1999, I signed up for boatloads of affiliate programs with plans to target niche audiences through targeted offers on content-based sites, but it quickly became apparent that to make the vision a reality would take more time and patience than I had to spare! Now, I have just a very few affiliate links that are not optimally-targeted, nor especially relevant or profitable.

The new model Google has created in AdSense essentially automates that process, and its functionality in serving ads that match content reminds me somewhat of the system Channel Intelligence has created to match Where to Buy links with manufacturer Web sites.

The reason AdSense will be a success is that it's driven by relevance. There are already folks out there figuring out how to create dynamic pages of public domain content driven by the hot keyword du jour, but, hopefully, that won't mean reams of pages of the same content with the same ads. The flip side of this is that it will enable sites with great content, but little capital to use a non-intrusive, virtually no-maintenance tool to deploy relevant, revenue-generating links on their sites. From a user perspective, a discreet text-based ad that's relevant to valuable content beats an intrusive pop-up any time.

I have faith that Google will diligently monitor the integrity of the links to create an environment where, with a simple line of code, a site can intelligently deploy relevant ad links that are not intrusive. I'm also excited at the ease with which these links can be deployed. This is the next big thing from Google, and, in my opinion, they are on to another winner!