interesting find, but i don't quite get what is meant by:

added the AdSense code directly into your site's source code

Been thinking about that as well. It seems that ads served by an ad server will not see expandable ads.

If this new ad format does well, does it mean Adsense wants us to put the codes directly on the page and discourage people from using ad servers and such?

Haven't seen one yet on my sites, but would love to see something about it. Curious about the payouts for this.

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System: The following message was spliced on to this thread from: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google_adsense/3863454.htm [webmasterworld.com] by engine - 2:34 pm on Mar. 5, 2009 (utc 0)

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From the AdSense blog [adsense.blogspot.com]:

Introducing expandable ads on AdSense sites
We're excited to introduce to you expandable ads, a new type of ad that can appear on your pages. Expandable ads are rich media ads that can expand beyond the original size of the ad unit, following a user-initiated action. This creates more real estate for the ad, allowing for more interaction from interested users. For instance, expandable ads may stream a movie trailer, show video game clips, or display various views of an item for sale.

...

At least they're only initated " after a user clicks and interacts with the ad. Mouseovers or rollovers won't trigger the ad, in order to prevent accidental expansions.". Will people soon be smacking the monkey on your site?

So, we don't have to do anything in order to start showing these ads on our sites? Also, I wonder do they mean Europe or European Union

I see this as a negative feature for publishers. Now it will take TWO clicks to earn money. The first click is "free" so speak...

More exposure for advertisers for less money to publishers. Not good.

I'm not too pro about ads that fly out and cover up my content, either. I hate 'em when I run across them on other sites myself. Only slightly less irritating than a pop-under.

I don't like ads that cover the content... is too intrusive. A click to expand the ad first? I don't like it. It would require two clicks to earn something.

I imagine a lot of folks expanding the ad, leaving or closing it again.

Eeeww...these are the nastiest type of ads...very intrusive in my opinion. More irritating than a pop-up because they sometimes don't show an obvious way to close them so you can get on with the business of finding what you were looking for. Can we opt out?

These kind of ads pays better but makes user unhappy. You can disable these ads simply opt-out with text only ads.

I'm avoiding some newspaper sites because of the ads that irritate me more than pop-ups or pop-unders did in the past. I'd rather 'punch the monkey'.

As I understand these ads only show up upon user action. Why not take the user to the advertisers landing page if they are interested in the offer?

Thanks, but no thanks, where can I opt-out? (which should be opt-in in the first place. Why are we not allowed to cover any Google ad by any means, but they can cover our content whenever they want to).

I'm avoiding some newspaper sites because of the ads that irritate me more than pop-ups or pop-unders did in the past.

Myself as well. The plethora of rotten flash ads etc. increasing over the last 12 mths has made some newspaper sites unusable for me, even browser lock up.

Back on topic, this is part of the broadcast email from Inside-Adsense@googlegroups.com:

"Expandable ads will be served as third-party ads and will be created by Google-certified rich media vendors for the top display advertisers in our network. And like other Google ads, you'll earn based on whether the expandable ads on your site are priced on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM) basis."

Unfortunately the email makes no mention of opting in or out! Personally I'd opt out because I regard this type of thing intrusive and annoying.

ProBlogger posted a great response [www.] from a friend of mine on the AdSense team that addresses your two main concerns (CPC expandable ads and filtering).

Publishers generate earnings from a CPC-priced expandable ad when a user visits the advertiser’s landing page, rather than when a user clicks to expand the ad. Advertisers have different goals, and we encourage them to achieve them on the Content Network with options to bid via a CPC or CPM model for all rich media formats. Publishers benefit from our auction technology that optimises their yield from our wide range of ads. CPC expandable ads still compete with other ads to automatically maximise your return from AdSense.

We’re also constantly working to improve publisher controls, and between the Competitive Filter and the Ad Review Center, publishers have two comprehensive ways of blocking expandable ads. Google has designed this ad format to enhance the user experience with ads. Users are given complete control over ad expansion - expandable ads are initiated with a click rather than a mouseover, and users can easily close the ad at any time. Expandable ads do not interfere with the page’s layout, and if publishers have opted into accepting all ad formats, it takes no extra effort to accept them. It’s an exciting ad product that will bring mutual benefit to publishers, users, and advertisers.

The reason I quoted directly is that her response is exactly what I would have said.

ASA

These kind of ads don't show up in my 'Ad review center' when I'm not targeted directly (which may be the case for showing them anyhow at the moment). Let me state that (for me) the review center is completely useless, as stated before by others, because of the many, many pages you'd have to examine.

The competitive ad filter blocks all adverts from an advertiser, not only the unwanted expendable ones.

I think it's time to do your homework again and start giving us publishers the tools we really want.

Thanks ASA. 'Publishers have two comprehensive ways of blocking expandable ads'. What worries me is that users have two ways of blocking as well. Script blockers and ad blockers. And expanding ads will encourage them to get and use both. Then everyone suffers.

Rich-media ads are where the display-ad industry is headed. Google is just doing what it has to do. Fortunately, there's an easy solution: Don't allow Adsense "image ads" on your site if you object to user-initiated expandable ads. Stick with text ads and pretend that it's still 2003. :-)

Good points from Bddmed and biscuit. We do not have even a single comprehensive way of blocking expandable ads. Except for the throw-out-the-baby-with-the-bathwater approach of sticking with text-only ads. Which is exactly what I do. No annoying Flash, no annoying expandable, just plain old text.

I just say "no" to expandable ads. I don't like 'em as a user, and I don't like 'em as a publisher.

It would sure be nice to have more slots in my competitive ad filter. I guess developing a new, unasked-for-feature was taking up too much programmers' time to implement a simple expansion of an already-existing feature.

Maybe adsense should just take over my whole site and put it within a little expandable window in case visitors might want to see what they came for?

Do you get paid for an activation?

Keep in mind that you'll generate earnings from CPC expandable ads when a user visits the advertiser's landing page, and not when a user simply clicks to expand the ad.

Anyone seeing any results from this yet?

I don't like it.

I like it when my site is CLEAN, no popups, banners, videos, expandables or moving images covering my content. Just pure clean text. That has always worked best for me and my visitors also like it. Does google.com have expandables or stupid ads moving around making you nervous? No.

I'm sticking with text ads.

Rich media ads? So the rich (ads) get richer. I quit using AdSense ads besides text only a few years ago. Notice how Google has provided no data to support the idea that its new media ads will do better than text ads. Also notice how Google is suggesting using the Competitive Ad Filter for something it wasn't designed to do.

We’re also constantly working to improve publisher controls, and between the Competitive Filter and the Ad Review Center, publishers have two comprehensive ways of blocking expandable ads.

p/g