You watch, this is next

Like the "channels" data?

[androidtech]

Everyone dismissed my thread on Google doing "conversion tracking" many months ago, now it's official policy at Google.

Here's my next prognostication:

So with Google's IPO coming up, everyone's saying they'll raise maybe up to 20 billion dollars. (Yeesh, can you say "instant Microsoft-sized" company.)

Then they'll start producing quarterly statements and we all know how that affects a company's desire to show a profitable bottom line.

So where's an easy place to pick up millions of dollars of easy profit?

---> AdSense Extra(tm)!

Do you like the 20 channels of channel tracking data? Do you wish you had more channels or better data filtering/reporting? Would you like to be a "certified" AdSense web site and display the Google Good Housekeeping "seal of approval"?

Well for only $19.95 a month you can have all this and more! And for the certification it's only $99 (hopefully, think Yahoo directory fee) per year, after passing an approval program.

How many AdSense web sites do you think they're are? Pretty easy math. Even the web sites not making that much a month will want the package and the certification in the hopes of raising their revenues.

Hmm, maybe certification even entitles you to a better EPC percentage.

Ok, there it is. I've put it out there so in a year you can all laugh at me appropriately if I'm wrong, or we can discuss what's next if it turns out to be true.

--

[Pikin_It_Up]

Interesting.

You might be right. That would be quite an exciting avenue for google

You might also be wrong. lol

Who knows

[ronin]

That's such a believable scenario, it's scary.

However, remember that Google believes in 'infinite scalability' so it would never resort to hand-checking. Sites would be certified subject to a review by robots >;->

[Mario]

Those features may well be introduced but I doubt there will be a fee. Its more likely that the features will be introduced to the big players first and filtered down to the small players a couple of months later - the way its always been done.

[adfree]

Prior to that advertisers will push them towards taking over part control, you watch.

There will be a wave of new controls for advertisers that will even be more scary and secure G's steady quality consideration.

If G wants to be sustainable in their efforts of providing quality environments and automatisms for their advertiser/publisher markets they're gonna have to. And they're gonna have to do something drastic, quick and self-contained to sell it to their shareholders as a perpetuum mobile type innovation.

Mark my words, be afraid, be VERY AFRAID!

[europeforvisitors]

Would you like to be a "certified" AdSense web site and display the Google Good Housekeeping "seal of approval"?

This idea has been discussed previously, and it isn't a bad one. I doubt if it would involve a monthly fee, though--IMHO, it's more likely that Google would charge a submission fee (a la Yahoo) to cover the cost of editorial review and discourage spamming of the submission process.

There will be a wave of new controls for advertisers that will even be more scary and secure G's steady quality consideration.

Why would this be scary? Wouldn't it be a good thing if it made advertisers more willing to buy content ads?

[dazzlindonna]

If they hadn't already thought of this idea, you've just given it to them. ;-) Ah well, c'est la vie.

[foxtunes]

"....Well for only $19.95 a month you can have all this and more....."

MP3.com tried this subscription model for their infamous pay for play scheme back in 2000 and it turned out to be about as welcome as a fart in an astronaut suit. To access mp3.com's monthly million dollar royalty pot you had to shell out around 20 bucks a month.....

[Need3lives]

I could care less about the seal of approval thing, but I would easily pay $20 per month to have access to 100 or 200 or unlimited channels, vs. the current 20.

[ronin]

I think the seal of approval thing is a good idea, I'm all for quality control, especially if it builds advertiser confidence.

But given how much money Google is making from advertisers, the last thing it needs to do is start charging publishers as well. If that isn't 'evil', what is?

After all, this is a part of Brin's core philosophy, so if he doesn't stick to it, he's a fraud, isn't he?

[europeforvisitors]

But given how much money Google is making from advertisers, the last thing it needs to do is start charging publishers as well. If that isn't 'evil', what is?

I wouldn't be opposed to paying for an "AdSense Select" quality seal if it required an editorial review and paid off with a higher average EPC. I'd prefer that the review be free, of course, but realistically, it wouldn't be cost-effective for Google to conduct free editorial reviews of thousands upon thousands of AdSense sites.

[Never_again]

"Adsense Extra" as you have outlined it -- I'd pay in a snap!

Then let Adword advertisers select all content sites or only those with the Google Good Housekeeping "seal of approval."

[JohnKelly]

Hmm, maybe certification even entitles you to a better EPC percentage.

Quick - where do I sign up?

:)

[div01]

Google won't be raising $20b in the IPO - their market capitalization may start off at around that number. The initial offering will raise (e*1,000,000,000) which equals $2,718,281,828.

[androidtech]

div01,

You're right, I got the market cap number swapped with the cash number.

Thanks for clarifying that.

[sonny]

Wonder if their editorial review would entail a "closer look" and voila... booted from adsense. Seems like a gamble. Might be better to stay under radar.

[ronin]

The whole concept of editorial review goes against the policy of infinitely scalable, automated systems, though... do you think shareholder pressure would be sufficient for the board to dump that philosophy when it has been a mainstay throughout the development of AdWords, Google News, AdSense, gmail etc.?

[jomaxx]

They have to do manual checks anyway, when you apply and also at random to ensure compliance with the TOS, so it doesn't seem like it would be much of a stretch.

[europeforvisitors]

Exactly. Besides, if Google doesn't do it, a competitor almost certainly will.

[Roomy]

Then let Adword advertisers select all content sites or only those with the Google Good Housekeeping "seal of approval.

This would be quite a good reason for becoming some sort of approved advertiser. It would give advertisers that added warm feeling.

[trillianjedi]

Excellent idea - and I hope you're right.

I agree with EFV though, I don't think it would stomach a monthly fee, although, if combined with an AdWords advertisers control over the "Seal of approval" only sites, AdSense advertisers may well be pursuaded to take a lower CPC percentage.

Either way, I do agree it's a potential revenue stream for google, and they need all they can get right now.

TJ