Google to Test Video Ads In Search Results Pages

[engine]

On Thursday, Google started testing video ads on some pages of search results. And it is developing ad formats with images, interactive maps and other more elaborate features.
Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president of search products and user experience, said in an interview that the change reflects the evolution of the once-sparse Google pages. Last year Google introduced what it calls universal search, which mixes images, videos, news stories and other types of information with the standard text links to Web pages.
“The big insight of Google wasn’t text ads; it was that the ads should be conducive to the format,” Ms. Mayer said. “We were doing text-based search that was all textual. Visual ads don’t work in that format.”

Google to Test Video Ads In Search Results Pages [bits.blogs.nytimes.com]

Looks like the days of the really clean SERPs may have gone.

[ergophobe]

>> Webwork, what are you suggesting? That Google is trying to sabotage the "Net neutrality" bill? :-)

I think he's suggesting that Google has hired some excellent lobbyists who may in turn have hired some excellent politicians... or not so excellent, as the case may be.

[europeforvisitors]

Well, if that's the hypothesis, it's pretty farfetched. Why would Google want to hire a lobbyist, then weaken its own case by giving ammo to the opposition?

Anyway, aren't we getting a bit off track here? Or did I wander into the GOOG forum by mistake? :-)

[running scared]

I can't see interuption type advertising in the SERPs.(I thought that was what the content network was for)

[Tropical Island]

I don't know about the rest of you however for me it's just plain annoying.

Two examples spring to mind. The PGATour website where they have a video news broadcast start automatically. The only way you can get it to stop (including sound)is click the pause button. Really, really annoying!

The other is my favourite newspaper here in my Latin country. If you click on a news story you are immediately subjected to a fast moving video ad that is totally distracting. I normally quick scan the top part of the article just to get the ad above the screen. If you have these on your site you are going to annoy people.

If Google puts them in the serps they are going to lose viewers.

[tedster]

According to the article, they will not be testing videos that play immediately when the page loads:

Ads with accompanying videos will have a small button with a plus sign... Users that click the plus button on an ad will see a small video player that shows a commercial, movie trailer or other clip.

Ms. Mayer said, however, that the company would explore adding small thumbnail photos to the video ads as well. And a spokesman said the company is considering testing other formats that may include ads with images. But it is taking a delicate approach.

[Webwork]

EFV, there are 2 popular "wrappers" for introducing legislation. One is the "appeal to the base constituency" wrappper which hasn't a snowballs chance in hell of passing. The other is the heavily studied and lobbied wrapper, where issues are worked out - mostly by lobbyists and/or (with) staffers - in advance of introducing the bill.

My guess is that any "net neutrality" bill will fall into the latter category, i.e., the bill that is introduced will be one that has been drafted in consultation with as many legislators as possible to give it the widest appeal or least resistance to passage.

The announcement of the "test" of video ad delivery, following the introduction of the new bill, is likely evidence of G's belief that the new bill has support and will pass. So, no EFV,it's not an act of legislative suicide for the announcement to follow release of the new bill. The video ad annoucement is an act consistent with G's belief that the winds favor G in the net neutrality battle.

Besides, as we roll towards Election 2008, what candidate or political adversary wouldn't seize the opportunity to deliver video ads when someone queries . . . . whatever? ;-P

[europeforvisitors]

If Google puts them in the serps they are going to lose viewers.

The video ads are being tested, not implemented blindly, and it's safe to assume that Google will make note of the test results.

[GameMasterM]

Bottom line- this is a great advertising product. I was looking at a World news roundup on RooTv and could not believe how well the Google AdSense for video ads matched the vids.
Contextually pumped up if you will.
I like the fact you can scroll to different ads or turn off the ads if you like.

Well done Google.

[Miamacs]

back on my idea on the SE in a BOX...
( desktop software bypassing the big time web traffic brokers )

... indirect connection allright, but with Google's freezing of the top few major sites for every niche, this direction seems more and more realistic to me.

People get bored of the ad-struck, full-o-spam SERPs?

Cool. Get your already popular web service in a box and sell it or allow free download until it becomes a desktop tool everyone has.

here's the article ( on Yahoo! News ):
Adobe AIR puts companies on desktops [news.yahoo.com]

EBay is one of several companies, including Nasdaq Stock Market Inc., Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, Nickelodeon and Salesforce.com Inc., that have created downloadable, desktop versions of their Web sites using software developed by Adobe Systems Inc.

Adobe is launching the application, called AIR, on Monday. Adobe says AIR will allow any company with a Web site to inhabit a permanent spot on people's desktops.

let's warn everyone here. The Internet is not just about 'websites'

...

There are a hundred ways for Google to lose out on visitors if it's gonna be any slower/less focused.

...

[edited by: Miamacs at 3:29 pm (utc) on Feb. 25, 2008]