Ad Links Search Box?

never seen this before

[4string]

I just posted a new page and instead of the adlinks I expected to see there is a tiny search box:

Ads by Google View ads about:[_________][btn]

Would anyone use this feature?

[OptiRex]

That's normal for new or little used pages.

Click refresh a couple of times and the bot will come running.

[4string]

Thanks. Strange it only happened on one of the new pages I put up.

[Jenstar]

It is kind of like a PSA for ad links - it is what they show when they do not have targeted searches to display.

[OptiRex]

Actually I think Google, therefore publishers too, are missing a goldmine with this small search box.

The first time I ever saw it curiosity got the better of me and I obviously entered a search term to see what happened.

Realising they were Adwords I didn't go any further but did click back and try a couple of other generalised terms to see the results.

A search box like this would be great for lots of sites which don't have the space for a larger search box. I do know the Adsense for Search box can be modified to a smaller size but it just doesn't "look" right.

Do you remember the old Altavista search box which could be used on a site? That was a great addition, about 120 x 120 size wasn't it? Something about 160 x 120 would definitely be something for me to try.

[AdSenseAdvisor]

4string, as mentioned by OptiRex, when Google is unable to return relevant ad topics to your link unit, we look for your specified alternate ad. If no alternate ad has been specified, the link unit will show a search box.

OptiRex, thanks for your feedback on the link unit search feature. I’ve passed this along to the product team.

-ASA

[4string]

Thanks for the response, ASA. Do search terms used in the box help target future ads? I'm also wondering if there are a few keywords that trigger this. I could see the page being misinterpreted and people not wanting their ads shown on that page as a result.

[OptiRex]

The results show 3-4 sponsored results at the top of the page with the normal SERPS underneath, therefore whatever search term you enter targeted ads will appear first with the conventional results following.

There is a clear delineation between the two sets of results.

The publisher gets paid as per the Adsense Search feature.

I like this concept since it effectively gives every publisher the chance to earn extra revenue for any given search term meaning publishers have the possibility of extra revenue by being a Google mini portal.

Obviously you do not get any earnings for normal results!