Sounds like good news, since it should make the content network more attractive to skeptical advertisers.

This is big news but is not getting enough attention. It will get new advertisers into the content network but will also lead to fall in earnings and 'booted from adsense threads' in the next few months as many advertisers realize that cliks from so called 'high quality' information websites are worth peanuts because....they provide only information..no conversions.

This has the potential of changing the face of the 'content' network.

IMO, YMMY

It is time to focus on 'conversions' and drive business possibilities rather than just give passive info. Time for easy money is going away fast..

Again IMO.

>>It is time to focus on 'conversions' and drive business possibilities rather than just give passive info. Time for easy money is going away fast.<<

I agree that the time for easy money is disappearing, but don't assume that "giving passive info" and attracting users who convert for advertisers are in conflict with each other. Clicks from a general news or portal site might be of limited value, but clicks from a site where users are researching purchases (such as a product-review site or a travel-planning site) may convert quite well--at least if my information site's affiliate earnings are any guide.

I guess Google should try to get more advertisers for content network. Such steps will help webmasters a lot.

Such steps will help webmasters a lot.

You say that is if it was a welfare program. Advertisers will try the content network if they think it can help them, not webmasters.

yes Atomic. Anything they will do to improve Content Network will help Webmasters with quality websites to earn more.

yes Atomic. Anything they will do to improve Content Network will help Webmasters with quality websites to earn more.

You seem so eager to turn this around to focus on the publisher. The unsaid message seems to be you couldn't care less about the advertisers.

I think that if you look things from the standpoint of making the advertisers more money, you mights stand to gain a little yourself. I don't see what good a quality website is if it doesn't help the advertiser. You could end up with more advertisers on the content network, but on websites besides your own.

I guess you could say that your site is quality one if advertisers say it is. As far as AdSense goes anyway.

[edited by: Atomic at 9:31 pm (utc) on Aug. 9, 2008]

I guess you could say that your site is quality one if advertisers say it is. As far as AdSense goes anyway.

I think a lot of Webmasters are confused about what "quality" means in an AdSense context. A site devoted to Flash animations about a religious figure, a site with the day's new political jokes, or a personal blog by a talented essayist might be a "quality site" editorially, but it wouldn't necessarily perform well with AdSense--either for the publisher or for advertisers. (On the other hand, the site might earn more from AdSense than it could from any other revenue source, if the publisher didn't have enough traffic to monetize with display ads. It just wouldn't earn as much as the publisher might believe that his "quality site" deserves.)

Back to what Netmeg said, yes, it will affect all of us. As advertisers gain more and more control over where their ads are shown it becomes more and more important to have the content they're looking for. Self indulgence won't get you as far as it might have even 3 months ago.